Journey to the End of My Life
by Your-Guilty-Pleasure
Summary: When John is forced back to Xaiver's school after Alcatraz,things have changed.People that once laughed and accepted him,now scowl at him. Rogue is the only person who even acknowledges and he hates her for it and what she has done.Ryro!Set after X3
1. Hell High

Damn. He hated it here. Ever since they had come back from Alkali Lake, and brought him with them, it had been hell. He hated these people and didn't care that they hated him. Who gave a shit if they didn't acknowledge him unless to make snide comments or laugh at him? He didn't.

He couldn't run from it. Last time he tried to make a run for it, Logan had caught him and hauled him back to his room with bars on the windows. They even took his Zippo, unconsciously but still they had it. Had he been awake when brought to this hell hole, he would have burned it down. Not that he hadn't tried. Damn Ice-prick had caught him though. Every time Bobby came around to _check_ on him, **she** was with him. Standing hidden behind him, like a scared shadow. He despised her. She was weak and disgrace to her own kind. Whatever kind it was. What kind of disgraceful _mutant_ would give up their power to be normal? He hated her. The thought of her made him sick. Why she insisted on coming with Bobby when ever he would come to give daily insults, even though she would get shy behind him, Pyro would never know.

The one time he addressed her, she acted like he had hit her. Verbally maybe, but she flinched away physically At that point, Ice-prick shoved him back _physically_ and told him if he ever even looked at her again he would make a iceberg out of him and dump in the North Pole. John responded by rolling his eyes and saying that he would never lower his standards to look her pathetic form again.

"You're going to be late for class, _Fire ant_." Bobby commented as he passed John in the hallway. As usual Rogue stashed behind him, her arm linked through his.

"Yeah, why don't you two go screw." He spat back and shrugged his backpack up onto his shoulder.

"Go to hell!" Bobby snapped.

John turned to face them, walking backwards with his arms thrown out, "I'm here aren't I? Hey, Icy, you her dad or her boyfriend?"

With a sudden feel of victory he laughed and ducked into his classroom.

"Rogue, I'm sorry." Bobby apologized. "He doesn't know."

"I don't want him to. He'd use it against me." Rogue buried her face into Bobby's arm.

"Hey, it'll be okay. He is an idiot. Doesn't he prove that more and more everyday?"

Rogue laughed hesitantly as Bobby wrapped his free arm around her waist.

**_

* * *

_**

Spur of the moment. Please tell me what you think and if I need to continue. I love the diea of where this story is going but I typed as much as I could, it now being 4:15 am I want to go to bed. Please tell me! I promise the next will be longer so long as I do get a response for this prologe thing.

RAWR


	2. I'd rather be alone

**Special thanks to **_**cagedinsarcasm**__** and **__**tenchi13.**_

* * *

Why did he have to know _pie_? He wasn't going to ever use it. He knew that. The teacher knew it. The only reason they used it was for teaching it. Without the constant cycle, it would just fall off the face of the earth.

John ran his fingers through his hair in irritation and shoved his notebook off of his lap and onto the ground below his bench. To hell with it. He wasn't going to study. It didn't matter if he passed or not, they were keeping him here. Among all of these low-life, yellow-bellied, losers.

"_What a failing ass._" He heard some girls snickering as they passed him.

That was one of the nicer compliments he had received today. Not that he let it effect him. These people weren't his friends, and never would be. As soon as he saw an open opportunity he would ditch this place and all of its stuck-up-dumb-ass-goody-two-shoed-snobs!

"You aint going to get much studying done that way." Someone said. He didn't bother to look up. No one ever talked to him in that tone. The only tone he received was disapproval, disgust, unkind, or bragging. "Don't ignore me."

He turned his head up from the grass to look at the person. His eyes cutting into them like a knife. He didn't want to talk to any of these people. They were inferior to him.

He especially didn't want to talk to this one.

"Go the hell away!" He barked at Rogue, watching with hidden happiness that she flinched away from him.

Despite his order, she stayed. His eyes witnessed the shiver that ran through her, even though she tried to hide it.

"I came out here to check on you. It looked like rain and-"

"I don't want **your** damn pity. Most of all your's, you filthy _human_." He spat at her and turned his eyes back to the ground. "Why don't you go find Ice-prick and screw him like you've _always_ dreamed of."

Rogue did want to run to Bobby. John being in his Pyro state scared the hell out of her. But she was going to stand on her own. After all, she couldn't hide behind Bobby forever. She had been doing it for the four months that John had been back.

"I wasn't giving you pity. I was trying to tell you about the weather-"

"If I wanted to know about the weather I would find out. I don't give a damn if its going to rain, hail, sleet, snow, or anything else! If the warning came from you I wouldn't heed it." He was suddenly standing. Close to her. His face floating inches above her own. His eyes staring down into hers like daggers. "Don't you understand? I don't want anything to do with a _ex_-mutant. I don't even want anything to do with the mutants that are here."

"I wasn't-"

"I don't care you pathetic excuse for a _mutant_. You weren't worthy of your gift to begin with. You cant be scared of it, like you were. You have to accept."

"Like you did!? You accepted it and it took you over! You became nothing but a flaming ball of rage!" She yelled at him.

"Yes. And don't think its gone." He stared down at her in discontent for a few seconds more then scoffed and bent down to pick up his things.

"Don't bother. I'll leave." Rogue was already turned with her back to him, walking back towards the school.

With a frustrated growl, John lowered himself back onto the bench. He _hated_ her. He didn't want her damn pity either! That was the last thing he needed.

He scribbled a few more answers down onto his paper, then heard the low rumble of thunder from a distance. With squinted eyes he looked up to see the clouds. He hadn't even noticed the dark heavy ones, that were now hanging over his head, move in. He could see from the fountain about ten feet away that the rain was beginning.

He hated rain and water. It was the one thing that could put out the fires he started.

With new irritation he shoved his notebooks down into the backpack at his feet and started towards the building. Before he could make it into the school, the rain began pouring. Soaking him to the bone. With huff, he swung the heavy door open and slammed it closed.

While standing at the door he shook the water from his blonde hair and wrung out his shirt. Finally he blinked it out of his eyes and looked around. There were about twenty students standing around, along with Rogue and Ice-prick. He rolled his eyes and wiped his face free of water.

"I tried to warn him." He heard Rogue talking to Bobby.

To which, Bobby laughed. "He looks like a wet cat doesn't he?"

TO HELL WITH THEM!

He didn't need them! Didn't give a damn if they all fell off a cliff!

"Hey Bobby…Rogue." A new voice entered the hall.

He knew that voice all to well. It was Kitty. Kitty Pryde. She had lowered herself to smile and nod at him a few times. Never spoken though. His stomach churned as he watched Bobby's face light up and Rogue's glow dimly. Their big happy-frickin family!

"Hey Kitty." Rogue spoke up. Bobby echoed her.

"Aw, isn't this just the happiest reunion ever?" John laid the sarcasm on thickly.

"We even have the ugly duckling here." Bobby spoke triumphantly.

"That is no way to talk about your girlfriend. I mean, at least wait until she is out of ear shot." John commented back.

Rogue's face heated all the way to her hairline.

"Why do you always have to slam her? What makes you even think you can talk to her?" Bobby's defenses jumped.

"Believe me if I _slammed_ her. You would know. She would follow around for more." John laughed, "You wouldn't stand a chance. But don't worry. I have no intention on _slamming_ someone who cant accept what they were supposed to be."

"Don't you ever think of her like **that** again!" Bobby had his ice fist clutched and pulled back.

"Why? Scared she might be tempted? Besides, Icy, you cant threaten students." John smirked.

"We're all still students. _We_ stop being students in two months. Don't think anyone will be reprimanded for kicking your ass. There isn't a person here who would take up for you." Bobby's ice covered fist was quaking in anger.

Rogue's eyes darted between the two boys. One, despite not having his lighter, radiating heat, and the other producing ice that was traveling up his arm.

"Bobby." Rogue broke in, tugging on Bobby's collar to force him to look at her.

The ice suddenly made a puddle at his feet on the floor.

"I'm sorry Rogue. Lets go." Bobby cradled his arm around her shoulders.

"Asshole." John spit as he tossed a head nod to Kitty who seemed to blush.

Maybe he could find some entertainment here. But he was wet right now and didn't like it.

* * *

_**That's it for now! I hate the way he is treating her right now but hey, its art of the story. Muah to you! Please tell me what you think!**_

_**RAWR**_


	3. What's Rogue's Secret?

Rogue awoke to her stomach churning in displeasure. Nothing new. Ever since she had gotten the 'cure', she had these pains. False, damn, advertising. The cure only worked when she was completely calm. Which in her case meant never.

They told her to be calm when they were injecting it. And she did remain calm, up until she felt the needle stick in her arm. Then her pulse started to race and she began to hyperventilate. Before they could put the entire injection in, she jerked away; only getting half the injection and forcing a negative reaction.

The clinic also told her that until the cure wore off, which was bound to happen, she had better do her best to stay clam. In the case of her getting over stressed or anything along those lines, she fit go in coughing fits and end up in bed for a week. But if its bad enough, it could cost her life. Also that she should avoid excessive weight gain, dieting, and getting pregnant. You know, what the hell? The only things she understood was A: cant stress eat, cause you cant stress. B: Cant stress diet, cause you cant stress. C: Cant get pregnant, but who was worried about that anyway? Bobby only petted her head and kissed her good-night. Yeah, he knew that as long as she was calm, everything was perfectly okay, but for some reason he didn't push it any further than before. _Except that one time…_

She pushed the thoughts of that night from her head. Maybe this was what she deserved. After all, she had hurt Bobby, so…all is fair in love and war?

Once the pain passed she got up from bed and shoved her arms into the green silk robe that had been resting on her footboard. After tying it together to hide her skimpy barely covering anything pink nighty, she ventured into the halls. Most of the classes had started by now, so she had a few hours until her first class. Therefore, free reign over the kitchen. No one to bother her or talk to her.

She opened the kitchen door with a yawn. It always smelled good in here. Like fresh fruits and fresh air. Her feet padded their way over to the cabinets and she removed a box of cinnamon flake cereal. She then made her way over to the next cabinet in search of a bowl. Once she had found one, she poured her cereal then went to the refrigerator for milk. Once she had completed making her breakfast she sat down at the bar. Happily enjoying the silence of the halls.

Then the door swung open behind her, clashing against the wall, making her jump at the sudden noise. She whipped her head around who decided they needed to make such an entrance, but when she saw she almost choked.

"Good morning." She said once she had managed to swallow.

John only grunted in response. He didn't want to talk to her. Damn chance that she was in here when he was.

"You've just experienced a normal American greeting for the morning. Its normal to respond back with a 'hello' 'good morning' 'thank you'. Something aside from a grunt." Rogue wagged her spoon at him as he stood in front of the open fridge.

She hadn't noticed until now that he was shirtless, only wearing his sleeping pants. She felt a slow heat growing over her face. She had never seen John like that, except when they went swimming years ago, but he wasn't that same skinny kid. She could see the tone of his muscles very easily as he bent down to look in the low fridge. He was in perfect shape, so much so she was finding it hard to look away from him. His once, frail arms were now pure muscle. His chest and stomach were perfectly toned as well.

She suddenly felt like she was out of shape.

"You got anything here that's good?" John spoke up, making her jump and jerk her head towards her bowl.

"You mean anything here you don't make yourself?" She laughed hesitantly.

It was silent for a minute, then he did something unexpected. He chuckled, "Yeah. Exactly. Your memory hasn't failed you."

Of course she remembered how lazy John was when it came to making food! It was one of his more dement features, when he was still at the mansion.

"I can make you something." She offered sheepishly.

The debate began in John's mind. He was terribly hungry, but was he so desperate as it have a _human_ make it?

"No. You got pop tarts?" He inquired, shutting the fridge.

"Yeah, over in that lazy-Susan thing." Rogue pointed her spoon towards a cabinet in the corner of the kitchen.

John shuffled his feet over to the cabinet and retrieved what he desired. His gaze caught Rogue's for a spilt second then he huffed and sat at the opposite end of the bar.

Rogue giggled at him. He was acting like a wet cat still.

"It isn't contagious." She finished her cereal.

"I don't want to be around 'it' or anyone who was gutless enough to get 'it'." He spat as he got a mouthful of pop tart.

Rogue held her tongue. She didn't want him to know about the hours of illness she had gone through to get to this point. She didn't want him to know that with her every prayer she regretted getting the damn thing. He would just hang it over her head. Always telling her how stupid she was and this is what she deserved for her stupidity.

"Well, I want to finish reading my book before my class so if you will excuse me." She jumped down from her barstool and deposited her bowl into the sink.

Her exit would have been perfect. She had pushed her hair over her shoulder and began to strode past him, but her robe tie got caught on the corner of the bar. She didn't notice until it was pulled completely undone and she felt a cold draft fly up her midriff.

John's eyes caught it to. He saw her belt get caught and simply watched as it tugged loose. What he didn't expect was what was underneath. The only this he had ever seen her in was jeans and long sleeves with gloves on, but this wasn't that. She was in an almost see-through barely covering anything baby pink lingerie type deal. For a minute he forgot who he was looking at. Her creamy white ivory skin was exposed to him, with just a few areas left covered. He had never seen her 'shape' before. She looked much thinner without those clothes on. She really had curves to her! He had seen her in a swimsuit a few years ago, but that was just nonsense compared to know. It would be like comparing a 1 year old to an 18 year old. _Big_ differences. Damn, if Bobby had seen this no wonder he made her dress like an old bag lady. She was a tempting piece to any man who would see her.

Rogue's face heated to a deep red color as she witnessed John's eyes travel up her body. Her skin felt as if it were his fingers tracing up it, not his eyes. After a few seconds of shock, she jerked the robe back together and tied it as tight as it would go. To horrified to say anything she, fled the room. If for nothing else to get away from his eyes.

John sat with his pop tart slumping out of his mouth. He blinked a few more times and tried to shake her image out of his head. Sure, he had been messing with Kitty for the past few weeks, but damn! Kitty had nothing on her! Had she not made the stupid decision to give up her mutant pride. He might take a stab at her.

Wait…what the hell was he thinking?! She might as well be an STD to him. Still, he couldn't shake her image.

"John, could you not walk around the mansion half-naked, nobody likes seeing you like that." Bobby growled from the doorway.

"On the contrary. The girls love it, but cant say anything cause I'm the bad boy. Ask Kitty. She likes it. Hell, your girlfriend even got heated cheeks at it." John chuckled.

"Rogue, wouldn't bother with you." Bobby rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Okay. Entertain your simple little mind with that thought. Meanwhile, I'm going to go flaunt around the mansion, tempting the girls into lustful desires that will never be filled. But you? Stay here and keep the refrigerator company."

"What're you trying to say, piss ant?" Bobby narrowed his eyes at John, who's eyes were filled with laughter.

"It's a known fact I was always in better shape than you. Don't think if I made a pass at Rogue she would resist."

"I have more decency than to parade around half naked. Only low-lives do that!"

"Ha! You're scared that I'm right! Lets make a bet! You walk around like this too and we'll see who gets more attention. The good boy or the bad boy." John grinned.

"As if I would do something that juvenile."

"Scared. I suppose that rumor about the cure fading is true. Once it does, I might lower my standards for one night and go after your little girlfriend. We were pretty fond of each before I left you know?"

Bobby glare was enough to kill him. He hated going along with one of John's stupid challenges, but this time he could accept to smash him down.

* * *

_Boom! YAY! That's all for now. So who would win. As if it's a real question! LOL please let me know what you think! _

_Named from What Victoria's Secret? -Rick Springfield._

_RAWR_


	4. Fallen Through

_**Aloha! Here is another chapter! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Just as their contest was about to begin, Kitty came bursting into the kitchen. At first, she was taken back by the sight of the two shirtless boys. Each built in their own ways, she felt her cheeks begin to heat. Then she remembered her purpose for being there.

"Rogue!" Her eyes locked onto Bobby's face. "She is in the north hall, coughing up blood! Lots of it!"

Bobby's eyes bulged at the news. Furiously, he began fighting his shirt back. Then followed Kitty out into the hall.

John's mind flew back to the last time he had seen Rogue. Flustered and embarrassed as she bolted out of his sight.

"What the hell happened?!" He heard Bobby yell from the hall.

He wasn't worried. No. Defiantly not that. Just to solve his curiosity he wanted to know though. So he followed behind Kitty and Bobby.

Sure enough, when he rounded the corner, there was Rogue. On her hands and knees, coughing in fits, with a puddle of blood under her.

"Rogue!" Bobby lifted her bridal style and carried her over to a padded bench against the wall.

"It hurts! So bad!" She coughed some more blood up and clutched the front of her rope. "Bobby, it hurts!"

"I'm sorry. What got you so hyped up?" He asked, petting her hair tenderly.

She was about to answer when she saw him. Just over Bobby's shoulder, barely inched around the corner. Staring at her like she was disease. Staring at her with curiosity brewing in his mind.

"I saw a sp-ider." She lied. She wasn't afraid of spiders, but it was the first thing that came to her mind. Besides, it wasn't John's fault (except him parading around shirtless and him being that good-looking that any girl's heart would race).

Bobby turned his head to follow her gaze.

"Get the hell out of here! You're useless ass isn't needed!" He barked at John. And with a flipped bird to Bobby, he did leave.

His mind reeled as she wondered back up the hallway. Why would Rogue lie to Ice-prick? John knew for a fact that Rogue was not afraid of spiders. They were the only bug she didn't fear. He knew this because, many time before she and Bobby hooked up, she has graced him with all her knowledge on spiders.

What was with her coughing fit anyway? Surely not because he had--well--seen her.

Abruptly, he shook the thoughts of the ex-mutant from his mind. He didn't care if she choked on her blood. After all, she deserved it. She had given up her _gift_. It would only serve her right to choke on her **human** blood.

Then noticed a slight rumble on the ground. He looked down at his feet, yeah, there was a defiantly a quake. And it was getting worse. Was this ware even capable of getting earthquakes? Soon a loud slamming sound entered his ears. He turned his head up again to see the source, but was slammed into the wall with a gruff, "Move it, John."

It was Logan. He was storming down the hall towards the scene that John had just been shooed from. Of course, the mighty Wolverine would come rushing to her aid. The whole damn school would come running at the drop of hat for the little human.

Pathetic.

"Am I the only one who is disgusted by her?!" He asked himself aloud.

"You asshole!" Someone had heard him and…they sounded pissed.

"What?!" He questioned, raising a quizzical brow at Kitty, who stood behind him fuming.

"You have no right to judge her! You don't know what she has been through this past year! How sick she has been, the hell she has gone through! The cure, the constant illnesses, not to mention the miscarriage! You don't know anything about her!" Kitty boomed at him, flailing her arms about.

"Miscarriage? You mean…they seriously did it? Ha!" John laughed.

He continued to laugh until he felt a stinging pain across his cheek. Kitty had slapped him, with all the anger and force as she could muster. It had made her so mad that he could just speak about Bobby and Rogue like that.

"Don't you dare, ever, EVER mention it to her. It almost killed her when it happened." Kitty wrinkled her nose at him.

"What, is this about? This whole 'protect Rogue' thing? Is it to make up for sleeping with Bobby this entire time?" Kitty gasped and took a step back at his statement. "Don't look surprised. Don't bother denying it. It would just be a waste of breath. Next time you feel the urge to leave him for me, don't. I'm tired of scrubbing his smell out of my sheets."

-xoxo-

Oh God. He knows. He knows everything by now. For this point on, he would never let her live it. Not a day would pass that he wouldn't mock her for her choice. And ridicule her for all the pain she was suffering through. He was never going to let her forget.

The thoughts of the near future brought stinging tears to her eyes.

"Just take it easy and rest for a few days." Storm smiled and petted a few stray hairs from Rogue's pale face.

"Thank you--ugh--Storm. Ms. Storm?" Rogue stammered.

"Just Storm, Honey. We're family. Now what can I do for you?" Storm's smile lifted Rogue's spirit's a bit.

"Could you-just-keep Logan and th-em out for a bit? I just-"

"Its okay. I understand. And Logan will do anything to make you comfortable." It was true. Logan had become her father. Her shield. Her support. They came first to each, it was a well known fact. "Yeah. I'll keep the _big bad Wolf _out and the birds at bay." Storm rose from the bed and crossed the room in a matter of seconds.

In the few seconds that the door was opened, Rogue saw Logan. Outside pacing back and forth worriedly. He made a lunge for the door, but Storm closed it before he got there.

Laughter bubbled in Rogue as she listened to him bicker with Storm about coming in.

"Like, Hell I cant go in!" She heard Logan growl.

That was the last thing she heard. She didn't know when she drifted off to sleep. Not how long she had been asleep. All she knew, was when she woke up it was late. She lazily gazed over at her clock…3:45 a.m..

With effort, she got up from her bed and shuffled over to her window that over looked the back grounds of the school and the woods as well. The night was so clear and lovely.

Folding one leg underneath her and she eased onto the seal. She stole the pillow that had been resting against the opposite side of the window.

When she lifted the pillow, something gleamed in the moonlight, catching her eye.

Suddenly she gasped and lifted the small item in her hand. Stroking it carefully with her finger. She had forgotten that she had it! She had stole it from Bobby not even a month before. A slow smile slid over her lips. This little object had caused so much turmoil, yet held so many precious memories. Still, there was someone who needed it to be whole. Someone who just wasn't the same person without it.

The corner of her eye caught a glint of yellow and orange in the front of the woods. Slowly, she slid off the window seal and across her room. Still clutching the small item in her hand. The only noise she made the entire way out of the school, was the small creaking from her room door. Her bare feet lead her through the dewy night grass, drawing her closer to the weird light.

Then suddenly, she was standing at the mouth of the woods, just pitch black in front of her. Had she imagined the whole thing?

Her heart began to hammer heavily.

Then the branches above her shifted, causing her to jump.

"What're you doing out here, human princess? Feeling better?" John was there. Hanging upside down, by his knees, from a tree branch in front of her.

She screamed for second, dropping her stolen item, and fell backwards onto her butt.

John maneuvered down from the branch with ease and laughed at her, "No sexy underwear tonight?"

Heat rushed from her cheeks to her hairline. She hadn't even noticed that she was in her old cotton cut off shorts and a ratty Notre Dame T-shirt.

"And what's this?" He bent down to the ground and retrieved her dropped item.

His eyes studied it for a moment and Rogue's throat tightened.

"You little bitch." he growled, standing up again.

"I didn't have it the entire time! I swear! I took it from Bobby to give it back to you! I knew Bobby never would!" Rogue gushed on, sitting up on her knees. "I really was going to give it back to you! I know how much it means to you! Its what makes you, You!"

"You, Bobby's little pet, were going to give me back my Zippo?" John scuffed a laugh at her.

" I was! I swear! And I'm not his pet! Doesn't that prove it to you?!" She pointed toward the now lit Zippo in John hand.

His eyes were shining in the light of it. Shining brighter than they did in any other light.

"Why did you give it back?" He quizzed her.

"I told you. You're not you without it. Bobby is gonna be furious with me for a while, so don't go showing it off just yet, please?"

"I'm doing you favors?"

"Just please. I want to at least get better before I get in trouble."

"About that-"

"No." She jumped up, almost losing her balance.

"Oh, I get it. I'm still the jackass who quit the X-men. Well I'm proud-"

"No. I just cant let you know. You're the only one who doesn't." She touched his arm lightly, surprised he allowed her to do so. With a faint smile she squeezed his arm with her bare hand and turned to leave.

John, watched her, flicking his Zippo open and closed. For the first time in months his hands felt complete. Thoughts were reeling in his mind. Maybe he was being too harsh on her. She may be weak, but still, she had given him his most precious procession back.

"Hey!" He called. "You're butt's wet!"

She threw her arm up and continued on back to the school. Leaving John slightly chuckling.

* * *

_**Chapter Title-Fallen Through by Skye Sweetnam**_

_**I desperately need your opinions. Am I screwing this up? Its hard to write when watch Supernatural. Ha-ha. I turn 17 on July 4**__**th**__** so it would be an excellent birthday present for you all to review! Aren't we happy that he is thinking about being nice to her? Huh? Huh? Ha-ha. Also, I' going to post a Bobby the fish story on my page. Its funny and I thought of it while visiting a dam near my house. Not X-men Bobby, it was just the first name I thought of. Thank you so much for reading! Until next time! Aloha!**_

_**RAWR**_


	5. My Apology

_I must apologize for not putting anything up. I promise you, I have it written out, or am just finishing up writing it. I polish it up when I type it out, but thats a delayed process right now since my laptop charger gave out [again]. _

_Thank you for all the reviews telling me to write more. I'm working hard [not even bothering to pay attention in class] on this stuff!_

_As normal, you all are AWESOME for having patience it will be rewarded!_

_I promise._

_:]]_

RAWR


	6. Get You To Notice Me

"_Freak of nature."_

"_The nerve, he thinks he can come back and everything just be normal."_

"_He is burning stuff again. Too bad they wont expel him. He is just a nuisance."_

Oh would they just grow up. Acting like ninnies over such small matters. It didn't annoy him that they were talking about him, if they wanted to think about him far be it for him to stop them from thinking of him, but the fact they had to do it right next to him? Within his earshot? That was just unnerving. He couldn't give a rat's tail what they thought of him, just don't sit near him and squawk about it.

"John!" Someone else's voice broke in. Desperate for an escape from their nagging voices, John's head snapped in the direction his name had been called.

"_Why is Bobby's girlfriend talking to him?!"_

"_Maybe she is just giving him some more chores to do to keep him from burning down the school."_

"_What makes her think she has to lower herself to his level and talk to him though. Just write it on a piece of paper and throw it at him."_

"_Yeah, its not like he has any feelings, he traded those for _freedom._"_

"_Her in her condition she should just be worried about spending as much time together with Bobby as she has left."_

There those comments were again. Talking about Rogue as if she were some fragile person who was destined to die within days.

"Hey, just wanted to remind you that its your turn to clean the rec room." Rogue chimed happily. After all, he hadn't ratted her out to Bobby for the lighter thing yet, and he was doing his best to be nice to her, for him it was a stretch. For the first time in a while someone didn't damn pity her.

John released a heavy sigh. He didn't want to be seen associating with Bobby's girlfriend. Why she wouldn't leave him alone was far beyond him. He was just pleasant with her, not kind, not caring, not comforting for whatever situation she was in. He was just him. Though he was grateful for her giving his Zippo, that he now had hidden away, back to him.

"I know." He growled out, deciding to focus on the branch he was burning instead of her.

"Hey," She lowered herself to sit next to him on the bench, "you know, you don't have to burn trees all the time. You could burn something that doesn't kill nature."

Once he felt her presence next to him he killed the flame that had been growing on the branch and quickly tossed the it aside. "I'll consider that next time, although, now I may be wrong seeing as everyone around here believes I am ALWAYS," he said it loud enough for all the nearby squawkers could hear, "wrong, but doesn't fire in general kill nature? Carbon dioxide ring a bell to you? Bad for trees and the Ozone."

Another trait about John she had missed. His willingness to have playful banter with her.

"Listen, _Cure_, I'm leaving so stay if you must." He stood from the bench and tossed a glare to all standing around.

"John," She looked up at him from the bench.

"What?" His tone was flat as he looked back down at her.

She smiled up at him and with a wink said, "Don't ever change."

Something stirred in John's stomach at that moment she said that. The wind swept through and tossed her loose dark curls around and the sun beamed straight down onto her smiling face. She suddenly looked cute in her cut-off blue jean shorts and band T-shirt, reclining back on the bench to look up at him.

The next thing John knew, his cheeks felt warm. It was a new warmth though, not like warmth he always felt from the fires he would create. A brand new warmth he didn't understand.

She was Rogue though, she wasn't cute to him. She was a weakling who got the cure and was with Bobby Drake.

Still, she was the first one to show any confidence in him since he had gotten here.

"John? You okay?" Her southern belle voice chimed.

"I'm fine. Just go to Bobby." He turned and began briskly walking away from her.

**He could not** have any of the slightest attraction to Rogue. She was his exact opposite. Everyone hated him and worshiped her. She hated her mutation, he adored his. She listened to country and pop music while he listened to rock and oldies. They have no grounds for even bothering to like each other. Plus add in the major fact that she was with Bobby. Just as much as it would please John to steal something as precious to Bobby as her away, he wouldn't.

Who was he trying to convince though? He had just argued out the reasons to himself in his head while storming away from her and into the school. Still, when he thought about what she said it to him, it made all the feelings come back. Everyone had told him too change since he had been forced back, then suddenly the one girl who should for every reason hate him just rattles out, 'don't ever change'. It was all just too confusing to think about right now.

****

Their conversation ended far too soon for Rogue. He was the only person she could honestly sit down and talk to, still yet, he constantly bolts from her. Her heart went out to him, as much joy as it brought her having him here, he hated it. To him everyone here was the enemy. That's why he left in the first place, he wanted something different. Something this place couldn't offer him. Then again, she left too. She came back willingly though, seeing as without this place he would have died.

She knew he thought the lowest of her. He had made sure she knew that whenever he first came back. Constantly throwing insults in her face and bashing her and Bobby down. She liked it, not in some weird kinky way either. Finally someone wasn't afraid to speak their mind to her and tell her exactly what she was.

"Rogue," One of the newest girl skipped over to her.

"Yeah?" She sat up and put her hands on her knees.

"You really don't have to lower yourself to talk to him. He already makes your life hard by just being present, you don't have to grace him with kindness." She must've been talking about John and what a horrid manor to do it in!

"I'll remember that, but you should know this, he was my friend long before you knew of him. He wont show it now, but he did once have a nice guy personality." Rogue's tone was slightly harsh at the girl.

It was just so rude that she would come up to Rogue like that and spit out such horrible things about John!

"You don't need to associate with a waste of space like him though. I'm sure Bobby doesn't like it either." The girl continued.

"Well," She got up from her seat, "I guess it's a good thing Bobby doesn't make my choices for me."

Right now, Rogue needed a walk. Someplace to escape the rest of the girls that would surely come and attack her with 'he's not worth it's' and so on.

She knew John hadn't exactly tried to make friends since he got back here, but that doesn't give everyone the right to judge him off what---Bobby says. Of course it traces back to the one person who she cant stand up to so she stand next to him. She owed Bobby a lot.

Her mind began to stack up all the things Bobby had done for her since the cure incident as she fought her way down a wooded path. He after all, babied her until she could do everything for herself again. He supported her when most men would have given up. Still, he was so darn mean to John it hurt her!

With a sigh she came to stop. Finally, she had made it to her clearing. She came here many times over the summer to just sit and bath in the warm sunlight while laying in the hammock [not to mention get somewhat of a tan back]. It was her place, where she was away from the rest of the world and didn't have to think about anything.

Exasperated, she sat down in the hammock and began rocking herself. For it being an October day it sure was warm out. She wasn't complaining, Bobby would force her to stay inside once it got cold. Fearing her body might not be able to take it.

John wouldn't force her to stay in though, in face he would probably drag her outside and make her have snowball fights with him, at least old John would. New John doesn't care what she does, so long as he isn't involved. That's the pitiful part. He is the one person she has an undying urge to be around, yet he wants nothing to do with her.

Rogue's eyes drifted to a close as she tried to chase the thoughts of John's coldness from her mind. She didn't want him to hate her, she wanted him to want to be around her, cause----why did she?

He was the one person who didn't know about her illness, so it was easy to talk to him without awkwardness. As hard as he tries to put up a mean front, she can see what is underneath, and it is so cute that he tried to hide it! Maybe it was his free spirit that drew her in, after all she lost hers. Nowadays she cant even run a mile without the fear of a heart failure or whatever might happen to her. He made her wanna be free though. Being around him intoxicated her mind and made her want to try dangerous things---_like playing with fire_.

At least some of the ice Bobby built up on John's shoulder had chipped off. She owed it to that Zippo too. Maybe one day he'll tell her why it means so much to him.

That thought brought a smile back to her face. John opening up to her would put them on a whole new level. One where they had established trust with each other.

He looked embarrassed early when she was talking to him though--he was cute though. Now that she thought about it, she thought lots of the things he did and does are cute. The way he pouts, acts, talks to her, and habits. His looks weren't too bad themselves either.

He wouldn't give her a second thought though. She was after all the wimp who got the cure and hides behind her pushy boyfriend.

She is gonna change that though. Just to make him notice her.

* * *

**I WROTE! Hopefully people wont slam this as hard as they slammed my Midnight Wings chapter. Ha ha, Well, please feel free to tell me what you think!**

**RAWR**


	7. Its the place I wanna be

"Where is Rogue at _Pryo_?" Bobby abruptly shoved John down onto the glass table had just been wiping down.

"Not here _Ice-prick_." John commented back snidely pushing off the table and shoving Bobby away from him. "I knew you were stupid but I didn't think you were blind too."

"The girls outside she was with you last! Why she bothers lowering herself to talk to you I don't understand."

"Is this about wanting to fight with me or wanting to find your pathetic excuse for a girlfriend?" John kicked the leg of the table to straighten it back out.

"I wouldn't lower myself to bother with you if I didn't have too." Bobby spat back at him.

"Yeah yeah yeah. You all need to come up with some new insults. The whole, _you're lower than me_, _too bad they _wont_ expel you you're just a nuisance_, _the idiot should learn to change his ways_,_ what a freak_, its all pretty worn out."

"Where is Rogue?! I wont ask you again nicely."

"You did a first time?" John coughed a laugh back.

Bobby shoved John back in attempt to make him lose his balance on the table, but it failed.

"How should I know?! I left her pathetic butt sitting outside." John growled at him, jumping forward to match Bobby. "Tell her to quit trying to have stupid conversations with me! I want nothing to do with someone who is as much of a weakling and disgrace as her."

"Don't you ever talk about her like that! You don't know how strong she really is!" Bobby's finger was suddenly pointing into John's face.

"It doesn't matter. She gave up the one thing that could have made her great." John pushed Bobby's hand out of his face and walked past him in a huff.

How in the hell should he know where Rogue is?! He put as much distance as he could between them after her comment. Why couldn't she just be snide and crude to him like everyone else? Why did she have to actually pretend to care about his feelings? It was driving him mad. All the attention from her. How on earth did Bobby take it?

Well wait, after what he saw under the robe…maybe that's why Bobby took it. Bobby had two girls though. John knew for a fact that all the time Rogue spent with him was the time Bobby was spending with Kitty.

"_Why don't you go to Bobby and talk to him?"_

"_Cause, he said I should take a stroll around. That once it gets cold I cant go out anymore. Plus, being from the country and all, being outside relaxes me. Which is a good thing." Rogue laughed._

_She had found John while he was tucked away up in a tree pouting. Sucks that she keeps finding all his hiding spots._

_John knew what 'go outside and take a stroll to relax' code was to Bobby. That meant he wanted to have a go-around with Kitty so he needed Rogue to be gone._

"_Don't you have any friends?" John asked from his branch as Rogue leaned back against the tree trunk._

"_Ha. Not ones that don't pity me. That's why I have you." She smiled up at him._

"_I'm not your plaything or buddy. I don't like you." John shook some leaves down onto her._

_Rogue laughed as the leaves fell on her face. "But I can relax with you!"_

"_That's your fault not mine so don't make me pay for it." He said with a hidden chuckle._

"_Too bad. You're going too." She added as she shook some of the leaves from her hair._

Why did she always come to him saying he wouldn't pity her? Of course he didn't pity her. She wasn't worthy of his pity or even his thoughts, so why was he thinking about her?!

He tore his

gaze from the floor to the nearby window, stopping from his march to his room to look outside at the growing night. He carefully touched the window pane, it was much colder outside now than it had been earlier.

Dang! He'd left his Zippo in that tree! If it rained tonight like predicted it would be ruined!

Hurriedly, John ran through the hallway and across the lawn, back into the woods a bit until he found his tree. With skill, he climbed the tree until he found the hole that was holding his precious Zippo.

"Almost lost you." He told the item when he reached the ground again.

Then a small movement caught his eye. He flicked his Zippo open and grabbed the flame, illuminating the area of the movement.

"What the-" John put the light closer to look at the person. "Cure?"

Rogue was curled up against an opposite tree, holding her chest and shaking.

"J-john." She gasped with pain.

"What's wrong?" John got closer to her with the flame.

"Your fire, it feels s-o g-ood." She chattered.

"Hey, Cure, look at me. You need to get inside. The way you're dressed you'll freeze to death."

"Pl-ease help me. It hurts to move."

"Are you joking?" John drew back, taking his fire with him.

"I know you hate me, but if I stay calm I cant hurt you. Just help me in, I can take it from there." John could see it now as she talked, her teeth were tinted pink as if there had been blood in her mouth.

"Fine. But you don't tell about it ANYONE." He put his fire out and helped her stand up slowly.

"I wont." She coughed and began to walk, while leaning on him for support. "you're so w-arm. It feels nice."

As they walked slowly back towards the school, John listened carefully to Rogue's wheezing and coughing. Her comments were making it impossible to talk to her.

"Did you catch something?" John asked when they were halfway across the lawn.

"Nun-uh." Rogue squeezed out.

"So is this part of-"

"John…please. I want to talk to you---but right now it hurts---and I cant." In corner of his eye, John witnessed Rogue clutch her chest once more.

He kept quiet until they made it into the foyer. Once safely inside he eased her into a chair, where she kept breathing shallowly.

"I'll go find Bobby or something." John muttered.

"Find me to what?" Bobby rounded the corner just then. His eyes widening at the scene in front of him. "You knew where she was and you left her out there?!"

"I just found her when I went to look for something! If you keep better track on your damn weakling girlfriend I wouldn't find her about to kill over in the woods!" John barked back. "You should be thanking me."

"That'll never happen." Bobby hurried over to the side of Rogue's chair. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Take me to my ro-om please, Bobby. I'm freezing and just need to chill out for a while."

Bobby laughed at her statement, "You're freezing but you need to chill?"

She managed a smile for him, then told him she really wanted to be taken her room before Logan came through.

"Thank you, John." She weakly smiled over at him before Bobby carried her off down the hall.

There was that feeling again! An uneasy squeeze in his stomach that made him tingle all over. He was getting so sick of this feeling. Maybe it was hanging around her and her damn Cure blood so much. It was infecting him.

How was he supposed to stop it though? No matter how much he insulted her, she kept coming back for more. Like a puppy he kept kicking and throwing things at, that still wanted to follow him around.

"She is driving me CRAZY!" John slammed his room door.

He threw himself down on his bed and dug out his Zippo out of his pocket. He was never going to admit, but he was grateful she gave it back to him. The only object he ever found happiness in.

"Still!" He tucked the Zippo back into the nightstand drawer, stashing it safely under everything else he had in there to avoid someone finding it. "She just….Argh!"

* * *

"I hope John isn't too mad about having to help me." Rogue coughed as Bobby helped her change into some flannel pajamas.

"He should feel honored I didn't pound him for touching you at all. You shouldn't worry about how he feels about anything." Bobby added with an unhappy tone.

"I would have died out there if it hadn't been for him coming to get his-" Rogue caught herself.

"His what?"

"Notebook. He had left it by the tree where I was." She covered her blunder.

"Well, it was luck on your part." Bobby helped her over to her bed, pulling the blankets back then easing her down.

Just before he could stand back up, Rogue made an attempt to kiss him. An attempt he pulled away from.

"Bobby, I'm fine and calm now. Its okay." She smiled then made another attempt.

"Not now Rogue. Just go to sleep." He ordered, standing up and away from her.

"That's not fair!"

"Rogue, you're not feeling well. Just go to sleep and I'll talk to you in the morning."

"You had better not be mean to John!" She yelled hoarsely as he shut the door.

Even though her boyfriend had just left her; right now, she wanted John. His heat was so nice when she had gotten that small opportunity to lean against him. She did falter on her emotions when John was helping her. In that split two seconds, her entire body was warmed and she felt so at ease. It would be nice right now if he would snuggle up against her right now and just be with her. He could wrap his heater arms around her and make snide comment, while she enjoyed the warmth and poked fun back at him.

She hugged her pillow tightly. She had grown so attached to him lately. Even though he hated that she sought him out to talk to, he did talk to her. He tried not to, but laughed with her. He didn't try to hide mean comments, just let them blow at her. He didn't try to hide her from his thoughts and didn't shield her from anything, unlike Bobby who shielded her from everything.

Oh Buddha. Was she really laying in bed thinking about John? The one that hated her? Everything she just…envisioned…could never happen. It shouldn't either, she was with Bobby! The guy who had stood with her through everything. The one that…protected her from everything?

"Ahh!" She smushed her pillow against her face. It was tempting to think about how John might act in some given situations. Think about how he wouldn't treat her so cold and indifferently. Of course Bobby didn't mean to be like that. He was just doing what he thought was best for her. Trying to make sure she didn't get sick or anything.

Despite it all, she was cold and wanted to snuggle up against John's heat. It would be very nice and might make the cold ache in her chest ease.

* * *

_Yay! Please tell me what you think! I'm glad you all are liking it! It's getting closer to a revelation. Who is gonna realize it first? I think that's a hands down thing. Enjoy it. I'm loving the feedback. Keep it coming!_

_RAWR_


	8. Heavenly Moments

"So how mad was prince charming?" As usual, Rogue was sitting with John at lunch. Sectioned off in the far corner, next to the large frosted window.

"He put me to bed like a bad little kid." Rogue pouted, "Didn't even kiss me good night."

"You were a bad little human. What in the hell were you doing out there to begin with?"

"I was just relaxing." There it was again. Bobby kicking her out so he could go to Kitty. If she was stupid enough to believe him, then that should be it, He shouldn't care about it. But he does. It bugs him that Bobby is just throwing Rogue, his perfect and needing girlfriend, away. Well, he wasn't really throwing her away, after all he needed her as a cover.

"Cure, when was the last time you and Ice-prick-"

"A while." She cut him off and chomped off a piece of her roll. She swallowed hard and shyly turned her gaze from him, "He is too scared to touch me, I think sometimes."

Then, like she had just realized what she had said, her head looked sharply at him. Her eyes begging him not to take the statement to heart.

"I don't know who irritates me more, you or him." John rolled his eyes, turning them towards the window next to him. The part next to him was no longer frosted, instead it was steamy and fogged over.

He listened to Rogue cough a few times, the last sounding a bit rough. He stole a side glance at her, she was clutching her napkin to her mouth, her eyes squeezed shut.

"You gonna live?" He probed.

"If I said 'no' would you be happy?" She gave him a weak smile as she took in a few deep breaths.

"Oh get over it." He growled.

Rogue coughed out a laugh then started to eat her chicken soup.

So since Bobby had been hooking up with Kitty. Either Rogue was choosing to ignore it cause she wanted to cling to the idea he is perfect or she is just flat out stupid. Both were very highly possible.

The class bell rang and both spilt there separate ways. Rogue going to her room to lay down and try to sleep off this on coming fever and John to class and try to not to think about Bobby's dirty ways that were hurting Rogue.

The next morning brought curiosity to John. He sat alone at breakfast, it wasn't half as strange as him sitting alone at lunch. Cure made it a point to never miss lunch. Or any chance to talk to him really.

"Hey, Logan." After lunch John found Logan in the hallway directing traffic.

"What John?" Logan snapped a reply. He was over kids with attitudes. He had just broken up a pair of fighting kids who were trying to electrify each other between classes.

"Where is--Rogue?" With Logan, John knew he had to address her properly with Logan or he wouldn't get what he wanted.

"In her room sick, if you know what is best for you, you'll stay away from her." It wasn't like he was going to check on her. He was just wondering why she wasn't pestering him today.

***

It never hurt this much to breathe before. She could never remember feeling this much pain in her chest either. Laying in bed wasn't helping her. Long ago she had flung her blankets off onto the floor. When her temperature didn't go down after that she shed off some of the extra clothing she had been wearing. Leaving her in a tank top and her boy cut underwear.

Her skin felt hot as fire, but on the inside she felt frozen.

Why hadn't Bobby come to help her? So what if he couldn't relieve her pain? He could give her those drugs to put her to sleep.

She rolled her body into a ball in the center of the bed, hugging a pillow against herself tightly.

She coughed several times, afterwards tears trickled out of her eyes.

Why couldn't she be laughing with John, laughing at his mean glances towards her? Having quick moments, that John didn't catch, where she left herself fall under the influence of him. The moments where she completely relaxed and was just simply her. He gave her moments that weren't accompanied with thoughts of him just acting to make her happy. Thoughts she knew she could never have with Bobby. Not because she didn't love him, but because he didn't have the confidence in her that John had. She was just a weak woman to Bobby, John (while she may not be more to him) lets her do what she wants and looks over it.

A knock at her door seemed almost heaven sent, "Come in!" She yelled with all the voice she could muster.

She heard the door creak open, but it was too painfully bright to open her eyes.

"Cure?" John cautiously pushed the door open. The only light in the room was from the doorway he was standing in. She had the curtains drawn together and all the lights shut off.

His eyes searched the room until they landed on her bed. She was facing him, only she was curled into a ball.

It sounded like she was whimpering, along with her couching.

"Plea-se." Her hand clutched the pillow she had hugged against her body. "Shut the do-or."

John entered fully and then eased the door to a close.

"Hey." He called out into the darkness.

"Come he-re. I need-" She gasped out a sob.

John jerked his Zippo out and used the light to guide him. It only took a few steps to get over to her bed. He was taken back at her apparel, then again he'd seen her in less. Her hair was up in a ponytail that half had fell out.

The hand that he had seen clutching the pillow was extended out, shaking.

Carefully, he touched her palm with his fingers, he quickly jerked away though. She felt cold. He killed the flame and shoved his Zippo back into his pocket.

"Are you okay?" He asked, sitting down on the bed near her.

Her head shook 'no' as she sobbed a few more times.

"Do I have to go get someone?" He asked bent closer.

Suddenly, her hand grabbed his wrist.

"I need you." She whispered. "I'm so cold inside."

John inwardly battled with himself about what to do. Part of him wanted to do it. He wanted to comfort and help her. Then the other part still saw her as a traitor to her own can.

She slowly started to unravel and wiggle up to the top of the bed. He watched her carefully lean off the side of the bed to retrieve her blankets. After a few coughs she began to lay down.

"Wait." He kicked off his shoes and slid in next to her.

Instantly she snuggled up to him, he was so warm and smelled so good. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, the coldness quickly melting inside her.

"Thank you, John." She sighed.

John was trying to keep his breathing level calm. Rogue was pressed up against him with her arms wrapped around him.

"I'm sorry. You-re the-" Her voice died out before a few more whimpers. Then she was asleep.** Rogue**: Bobby's girlfriend (and rumors soon to be fiancée), ex-mutant, pathetic human, and weakling was laying in his arms under the covers in the dark.

He didn't hate touching her though. He didn't mind her soft breaths against his skin or the feeling of her arms draped over him.

It felt nice. This wasn't what he felt with Kitty. In fact, in truth, there was no feeling with Kitty. It was pure boredom.

"So warm." Rogue breathed as she nestled closer against him.

He would never admit it out loud. He was even having trouble admitting to himself in his head. He couldn't begin to fathom how it was even possible. He was enjoying this. He liked having Rogue cuddled up next to him, needing him to help her, to save her.

He used his free arm to pull the blanket up over her shoulders, seeing as she wasn't wearing much clothes.

Another thought surged through his brain, sending heat waves washing over his entire body. He wanted to kiss her. He didn't understand it either. He wanted to make sure Bobby never got the chance to hurt her again or betray her ever again. He also wanted to know what was making her so sick all the time and why everyone was so scared of it.

Rogue shifted positions, her leg was now propped up on his. Her stomach was pressed against his side. There was no way she could find a way to get closer to him or to make his mind run any faster.

The hand she had wrapped around him had clutched a piece of his shirt, and was holding tightly.

Without realizing it John drifted to sleep. It was the easiest sleep he had fallen into since he got there.

Rogue was the one who woke-up first. When she first woke-up, she found it strange that she was warm. She never woke-up warm. She nestled against her pillow…wait…that wasn't a pillow.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. She flung her hand over to turn on the light, almost knocking the lamp over in the process. Her fingers quickly snapped it on and she couldn't believe what she seeing. John was in her bed. She thought that she had dreamed that entire thing. Only in her dreams would John actually even consider helping her that way. That would mean, he saw how sick she was. Saw the state she was in.

"Oh God." The hand that wasn't propping her up covered her mouth.

As scared as she was that he could have pieced it together, she was happy. John was here. She woke-up in his arms like she had in a daydream.

Carefully, scared of shattering the scene if it was a dream, she turned to face him. He was completely relaxed with his lips slightly parted open. Rogue nibbled at her own lips. Laid before her was temptation in the flesh. Some temptations were just too great.

Gingerly, she began to decline down, back into her earlier position--in John's arms. Her fingers caressed his hair, pushing it off his face. She slowly bent her head towards his lips. The heat she felt inside her tripled when her lips met his. Her cheeks must've lit up in bright red.

She jerked away before her nervousness could cause her to cough. Her chest did tighten and at first it hurt; then it eased. She calmed her breathing, as she laid back down.

She nuzzled up against him again, her mind drifting into a happy place. Only that happy place was this place. It was absolutely perfect.

The only thing she regretted is that it wasn't going to last. When John wakes up, he'll leave. Then act as if it never happened.

Suddenly weariness overcame her and she drifted back to sleep. Happy with her whole world.

At about 5:21, according to Rogue's neon cowboy hat clock on the wall, John woke-up, with Rogue still snuggled against him.

He needed to get out of here before someone came in to check on her. With ease, he slid out the bed and into his shoes. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to get back into bed with Rogue and just be with her. He tucked the blanket in around her, securing her heat in, then exited to the room.

"John…" a voice spooked him when he sealed the door shut, "we need to talk. Seeing as you directly defied me."

_**Hope you enjoyed! All the sweet tender **__**moments**__**! Tell me what you think!**_

_**RAWR**_


	9. Its all crashing down

"Logan. Listen-" John started, trying to sound firm and unafraid.

"Shut-up. I'm talking right now. You directly disobeyed me and went to her room. Not only did you go, you went in. If that wasn't bad enough that you went in, you got **into bed with her**. While you may have done nothing, you still did it." Logan's voice was a low growl. John felt fear start to build in his stomach.

"If you would just-" John was cut off once again by Logan.

"I'm furious." Logan clutched his fist into a tight ball, "Cause I didn't realize it sooner. This stupid cure is killing her! I've been so caught up in making her comfortable and happy I didn't see something that might help. All the time she talks about how cold she feels and so on….I never thought of you being an answer. Then again, you were so hateful to her. I was just sitting to the side to wait to shred you to pieces."

John listened to Logan and was astonished. The cure was killing Rogue? What the-

"Its kill-ing her?" John stammered.

Logan twisted his head to face John. "Yeah. She only got half of it and that half reeked havoc on her system. That's why she cant get stressed or over excited. She goes into the fits, I'm sure you've witnessed. You have no idea how much it is killing me to sit by and just watch it. I cant do anything to help her. No one can. Until you came."

Logan's eyes shifted to Rogue's door. His motion made John do the same.

"Come on." He ordered John and began walking down the hall, away from the door.

John followed an order for once since he got back here and kept close behind Logan. His stomach began churning in overtime due to the silence they were walking in.

Logan led him to the kitchen, the place where John had his first alone run-in with Rogue. Right before the first episode he witnessed of her "fits".

"She doesn't acknowledge it. She refuses to truly believe it. Hell, I DON'T WANT TO believe it, but it's the fact. That's why we want her calm. That's why she gets babied. That's why everyone helps her. She hates it, but it eases their conscience. She didn't want you to know, I suppose cause you were the only one who treated her normal." Logan's gaze shifted to John, as if he was upset for all the hateful things John had said to her since he got back. "That's why she wanted to be around you so much." Logan's voice had dropped a few levels. Yeah he was remembering all the things John had done.

"I gotta admit." Logan was suddenly scratching his head with a gruff voice. " I didn't like it at first. I told her to stay away from you that it was just trouble in the making. She didn't listen, she never does. Now I see that…" Logan's muscles tensed up as he crossed his arms over his muscular chest. Finally he muttered out, "I was wrong."

"How is it killing her?" Even as much as he would like to rub it in Logan's face that he made a wrong assumption about him, he was more eager to find out more on Rogue's condition.

"Like I said. She only got half the injection and she was really tense when she got it. Since then---well its been hard on her. She is supposed to stay completely calm at all times. She can never be too nervous or excited or anything. That stupid Bobby is too worried about his image with Rogue." Logan got quiet then. His boots shifted on the floor as he debated his next sentence. "She doesn't think I know, but I do, that she for some reason feels indebted to Bobby. Maybe because he helped her when she came back, or maybe for the fact he is just there. Do you know what is gonna happen when Bobby asks her to marry him?"

"Why should I care?!" John snapped out a response without thinking, after all, he was John---Pyro. School reject and unwanted freak, she was practically the school's prize student. He wanted nothing to do with her…in that way...right?

"She is going to come to you. She going to want to hear you tell her not to so she has a reason to say 'no'. Are you?" One of Logan's dark brows raised up.

"Hell no. She wants to marry that stupid prick let 'er. I'm not gonna stop her." wasn't any of his business.

Logan didn't show any emotion to John's response. In fact he only stared at him for a second then released a heavy sigh while dropping his arms. Without another word he left John in the kitchen.

John wasn't going to stop Rogue from marrying Ice-prick. Maybe by him marrying her he'll stop messing around with Kitty.

"Bobby!" John's ears heard a whispered hiss from outside the kitchen window. "This is your fault! Are you planning on making me get an abortion? I mean, you _made_ Rogue get one. She didn't even know…you told her she lost it."

"Do what you want with it. Just don't blame me. In fact why don't you try and blame it on-" then the voice died out. In fact John couldn't hear either voice anymore.

What on earth? Was that Bobby and Kitty just now?

So wait a minute…Rogue didn't have a miscarriage…Bobby had the baby aborted. Now Kitty is pregnant…and Bobby wants her to blame it on someone else?

THIS WAS JUST TOO MUCH INFORMATION. He wanted to just crawl back into bed with Rogue and sleep in her arms. Everything seemed so beyond perfect there.

**WAIT!** Was he seriously thinking about how perfect things are when he was with Rogue? Was he on some sort of drug? A very powerful one? To hell with it, it was his mind and no one could read it. So if he wants to think about how perfect everything was with Rogue then he will.

In fact, he might just be tempted to go back. After all, it was nearing seven O'clock. SOMEONE should check on her, seeing as her boyfriend doesn't care.

* * *

"John!" Rogue was startled awake by a terrible nightmare. Her hand was clutching the place on the bed next to her, searching for the person who had previously been there and someone who was no longer there. "No!"

She yanked the blankets back trying to find him in the dark. Only she was unsuccessful. Her chest squeezed in displeasure, making her wince and take in a deep breath.

The images of her nightmare running through her mind at rapid speeds. She could see John leaving her alone…once and for all. She could tell he was never coming back. When he turned his back to leave her, she couldn't chase him. Whatever she was wearing was making it impossible to move. Violently, she tugged the material trying to break free and go after him. She screamed his name but he wouldn't turn to look at her. When she finally managed to get the material move with her legs she chased him out in the rain. Her feet ran as fast as they could and despite the horrid pain tearing through her, she needed to reach him. A tree root caught her foot, sending her into the mud.

The pain from her dream was becoming so vivid that she could feel it forming in her mind and chest. She had to push it aside though. Right now she needed to know that John was still here somewhere. She needed to know that he hadn't left her. If she could just see his face and know he was still with her.

A burning sensation shot through all her limbs and for a few seconds she was afraid to move. Once the sensation ended, she fumbled around her floor until she found her flannel pajama bottoms. In no time she had them on and was rushing across the room to the door. She hit the door with a thud; then swung it open.

She didn't care she looked bad. She didn't care about the pain riveting through her body. She didn't care that people were looking at her, yelling at her to stop. She didn't even care that Logan was one of them. She checked his room first, his stuff was there but he wasn't. That settled some of her uneasiness, but she still needed to see him.

"John!" She huffed out, but she kept going. She knew from doing this once before that if she stopped that was it. She wouldn't be able to move again for a week.

She could hear people yelling out her name as she continued to run down the hall and stairs, she ignored them though. She needed to find John and soon because her legs felt tingly, which is never a good thing. She rounded the corner into the main hallway and her body came to a full halt. There he was, sitting in one of the padded chairs lined up the hall walls. A laugh escaped through her pants and she managed to say his name. Then she couldn't feel anything. Her vision went black and her legs caved underneath her.

She heard several blurred voices yelling her name. John and Logan being the loudest of the all. Then everything was dark and quiet and numb.

* * *

John was sitting the main hall, debating what he should really do. He would cross all lines if he voluntarily went back to Rogue. Not only that but it would break all his rules. She wasn't a mutant anymore, but she was Rogue. The only one in this place he could stand…even if she was a normal human.

A small laugh caught his attention and broke him from his thoughts. Next he heard his name from a distressed familiar voice. When he looked up he saw something completely unexpected. Rogue was standing at the end of the hall, at least she had pants on, smiling at him. He was about to smile back when her eyes rolled back and her legs collapsed under her. In less than a second he was running towards her, yelling her name. Only he wasn't alone. Logan beat him there, having to slide under her to catch her.

"Rogue!" Logan boomed, shedding his flannel shirt off the act as a pillow for her head.

She wasn't responding though. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. Panic embedded itself in John's brain as he watched Logan check for a pulse on her. During which a crowd had began to form.

"Logan what happened?!" Bobby burst through the crowd, Kitty close at hand.

"She was running for some reason. Wouldn't listen to anyone when they told her to stop. Where were you Bobby?!" Logan snapped back.

"I was taking care of something!" Then Bobby's eyes caught something. It was something that was out of place and didn't belong. "It was you."

John knew he was speaking to him.

"You did this to her! If you would have just left her alone like I told you she wouldn't have worried about you! She wouldn't be here right now! Its all your fault! I'll kill you if she dies!" Bobby's threat didn't mean anything to John. It was all just a show for everyone gathered around.

If Bobby was playing his part, John had to play his, "As if. If the twit came running out here it isn't my fault. I was minding my own business."

"Would you two old women shut-up and move!? I've got to get her to the hospital ward." Logan had lifted Rogue up, cradling her head against his chest.

"She didn't wake-up?" Bobby turned his attention back to Rogue.

"This isn't last time. She isn't dead, but she isn't responding." Logan commented as he bolted down the hall.

Bobby followed Logan, and after that the whole crowd just dissipated. Leaving John and Kitty.

"Don't stare at me. It isn't my fault." He snapped at her.

"Only really?" Her eyes narrowed at him.

"If the fault goes to anyone, its you and Ice-prick. If you two would quit screwing around you might realize she is SICK. Something that is not my fault either. So, sorry, but for once, no blame can go to me." John walked past her, in the opposite direction Logan had gone.

"You're not going to check on her?"

"She is Bobby's girlfriend not mine. He is a big boy, he can handle it." John added then started up the stairs to go to his room.

He wanted to go check on her, but Bobby was there. If she woke-up to him and Bobby fighting, it might just cause her to pass out again. What did Logan mean, this isn't last time?

John pounded his fist again the staircase wall, leaving a small charred dent in it. He didn't noticed though, he just continued on to his room.

What if it was his fault? What if she was coming to check on him cause he wasn't there when she woke-up? What if she does die? This wasn't defiantly something that qualified with over-stressing for her.

Why was he stressing so much over her? Just because she was nice to him a few times, and he helped her once didn't mean anything! It surely didn't give him grounds for worrying over her like he is.

As if to prove him wrong, his mind flashed pictures of everything from earlier. Her cuddled up against him. Thanking him for coming. The way her breath felt on his neck. Then it replayed Logan saying he was the only one who could help her.

He slammed his door shut and threw himself down into the office chair sitting at his desk. How was he supposed to sit here, not knowing if she is alive or dead, for hours? If he is the only thing that can help her why is he even sitting here?

Cause its not his job to help her! His Pyro personality was beginning to show again. She isn't his problem, she is Bobby's!

He is the only she trusts though. The only one who can really help her. The one person who she seeks out.

"Good Lord! How did things get so freakin complicated!"

* * *

_**With that I bid ado! Please tell me what you think!! Cause I'm excited to know!**_

_**RAWR**_


	10. Its only over when you quit

John didn't even think about it. His feet led him straight back to the infirmary. Logan was in there with Storm, they were standing by Rogue's bed. Rogue was laying motionless in the bed. IVs hooked into her arm at various places, a tube was running from her mouth to a pumping machine. Her face was much lighter than it had been earlier.

"Logan…how is she?" He asked from the foot of the bed.

"Hank says she is in a coma. She overworked everything and got over excited." Logan's voice was hoarse, his voice sounded stained with tears. He was holding one Rogue's hands tightly in his own, as if he was holding her from going anywhere.

Storm exchanged a solemn glance over to John, then placed her hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Come on, Logan. She's stable but we need to have to let her rest." She spoke softly.

"I cant leave her! Look what happens when I do!" He bent down and pressed his forehead to his hands that were enclosed around Rogue's.

"This isn't your fault Logan. Don't you dare sit there and blame yourself." Storm's voice was firm.

"I couldn't stop her. I couldn't save her." It sounded as if Logan was straining to hold in tears.

"You did! You brought her here just in time to save her! Logan you did all you could. Now its Rouge's turn to. You need to rest. Come back in the morning and see her." Storm's voice was soft again.

"John! Please help her." Logan asked from his position.

"What can I do?" John asked coming to the opposite side of the bed from Logan.

"Touch her. She is freezing, it doesn't matter how many blankets we put on her she is still cold. You helped her earlier. Do it now."

"I still don't understand how I can help." John did touch her arm. It was almost painfully cold. As if she had been standing in a freezer or something.

"Her mutation isn't completely controlled. A small bit of it has broke through. Please warm her up." Logan looked up from his hands, his eyes bloodshot and desperate.

"Okay." John took her free hand in his and didn't let go.

"See? Logan, he can handle this part. Lets just leave them alone."

"Please do." John could feel a pull in his hand. It was very small, but still there was a pull.

With a little less fight, Logan and Storm left.

John swallowed what was left of his stupid pride and shed off his jacket. If this was going to work, there needed to be some contact.

He pulled back her blankets and crawled in next to her. She didn't immediately snuggle up to him like last time though. She didn't even stir in the slightest.

John's eyes scanned over her face, what had been fever red before was now a faded color. Her lips which had been almost tempting earlier looked a bluish color.

At least she wasn't as cold as when he first touched her. Why had he left her to begin with? No reason more than likely. All he knew was right now, he was with her. He was gonna stay with her until she was okay again. He had too.

* * *

It was the nightmare again. She was cold and alone. She heard voices, but they were all to muffled to understand, which only scared her more. She pounded on all the walls in the room she was trapped in. The answer that returned back to her was the echo of her actions.

"Someone help me!" At least it didn't hurt to scream or cry. Didn't even hurt her to feel the enormous amount of fear she felt. "John!! Logan!! Anybody! I don't want to be here!"

This wasn't like the movies…it wasn't like the shows…she was trapped in her own mind, but there was no one else to talk too. No books to read or anything. It was just her, her memories, and her train of thought.

"John!" She screamed, "I need you! Its so cold! Please!"

She knew no one could hear her. She was screaming to the walls and they weren't responding either.

The voices were getting louder, still muffled though.

In the blink of an eye, she was standing in her old bed room at home. She recognized the situation. It was the day her powers fully showed themselves. The very moment really. She was going into kiss her boyfriend, she didn't even notice what was happening to him. Too caught up in the moment. She watched as he started to lose color; then his eyes rolled back.

In the next second, she was in a whole new place. It was the first time she had met Logan and was riding in his truck with him. After a few minutes that changed into her and Bobby, the second she found out she was pregnant. Next it was Bobby giving her the news she had lost the baby, and she felt the sting of it all again. John coming back was next. It and all the times they spent together. That faded into John and herself. From earlier. He was pulling up the blanket to cover her bare shoulders.

She jumped forward, so glad to finally be able to find.

"John!" She exclaimed as she jumped onto the bed. It was like he didn't even notice her though. "John! Look at me, please look at me!"

She jumped around on the bed trying to see if anything got his attention, but it didn't. So instead of trying to get his attention, she laid down where 'she' was laying in bed. It made her heart skip to see John look straight at her. His eyes burning, it seemed the intensity of them was warming her. Wait, that was his arms around her.

Even if it was in her head and wasn't real, she was here with John. The only place she wanted to be.

* * *

John couldn't take his eyes off her face. The color was slowing coming back to it, even though she hadn't even so much as twitched her lip yet. He was doing everything he could though.

"Rogue, you cant leave. Who am I supposed to talk to? You know I cant stand a single person here. You're the only one who is worth anything." He said as he pushed some stray hairs off her forehead. "Come on. Its not all bad here. I know I can be harsh, but that's all going to change. Rogue, I'm going to do right by you. But you have to come through this for it to happen."

John slowly drifted to sleep while whispering promises to her about how good things were going to be when she woke-up.

Logan woke him up, looking much better than he had the last time he had seen him. His eyes were no longer bloodshot and his voice wasn't as gravelly.

"Kid, go rest in your room. Thank you. She look so much better." He said as he assumed the chair next to Rogue's bed.

Sleepily, John sat up and looked down at Rogue. She did have much more color to her than last night. He didn't want to leave her though. He needed to make sure she stayed warm.

"Seriously, go rest up in your room. Eat plenty. We might need you back again tonight." Logan adjusted Rogue's blankets after John got out of them.

"Am I a heating blanket?" John laughed drowsily.

"A very useful one." A smile cracked in the corner of Logan's mouth.

John yawned and put his shoes and jacket back on. "I'll be back later."

"Thank you, John. You may have saved her life last night."

"Don't mention it." John shrugged and made his way towards the door.

Logan didn't hear him though. He had began talking to Rogue. Telling her to wake-up before he goes to her room scratches her country music collection.

He never would, John laughed at the thought as he walked down the hall.

Before he hadn't noticed it, but he did feel kind of weak. Some food and sleep can fix that though.

* * *

The voices in Rogue's mind were clearing up. She could understand Logan's voice, giving her orders to wake-up.

Well, its not like she wasn't trying. John had disappeared somehow and all her warmth was fading away. She wanted to wake-up.

Everything was so quiet in her mind…so much so it scared her.

She heard Logan telling her something else about she needed to wake-up. The John was going to be lonely without his best friend to talk to him. Thanks Logan, that made her feel so much better.

She started beating on the walls of the room again, trying to find some trigger for a reaction.

* * *

It'd been four days since Rogue had fallen into this coma state. Every night John would stay with her and keep her warm, telling her how much he missed her during the day. Logan would stay with her all day, trying to think of new ways to make her stir. He had even brought in a radio to play her country music for her.

On the second day they took out her ventilator, since she was breathing on her own. Which made everyone take a sigh of relief.

Today was different though, she had finally woken up. Logan looked startled at first, then his muscular arms wrapped around her and hugged her tightly.

"Ow, hurting me." She barely had a voice.

"I'm sorry its just you're awake! You can never do this again!"

"Where is-"

"She's awake?" Bobby's voice entered their conversation.

Logan retracted from her and eased her back down to a laying down position. "Yeah, she just woke-up." Logan sniffed.

"Rogue," Bobby was blurry in her vision. " I need to settle this now."

Rogue blinked in response, also trying to clear her vision.

"Will you marry me?" Bobby had pulled a box out of his coat pocket and held it out to Rogue.

"I-" Rogue started but was overcome by drowsiness again.

"Bobby this is hardly the place for that! She just woke-up from a coma! It isn't fair for you to ask her now!" Logan interjected.

"We love each and we're going to get married. It's the only way I can save her." Bobby took the diamond ring out of the box and slid it onto Rogue's finger. She didn't notice though. She was back asleep, only this time it was **sleep**.

"From what are you saving her? No one can save her from this." Logan motioned over her sleeping form.

"I'm saving her from having the chance to screw everything up and grow some sort of attachment to John."

"She is not a prize Bobby. If you are going to marry her, you had better truly love her."

"I do."

"Then straighten your tail up." Logan warned Bobby with narrowed eyes.

* * *

When John came in that night something was different, Logan wasn't watching her so intently…instead he was flipping through TV channels.

"Um?" John caught Logan's attention.

"You haven't heard have you?!" Logan suddenly jumped up. "She woke-up! When Hank came by earlier he said she would in and out for a few days, but she is okay. She is just sleeping right now."

The heavy weight that had been in John's chest suddenly evaporated. She had woken up!

"I'm so glad. I was really starting to worry." John lifted her hand to check her temperature. "She seems to still be retaining heat. What is that?"

His caught sight of the diamond on Rogue's finger. It was big and obnoxious and looked horrid on her finger.

"Oh yeah. Bobby came by right about that time. He wasted now time in putting that thing on her. I told him it was wrong. She didn't even really say 'yes'." Logan switched the TV off and shared John's distaste for the ring.

How was he supposed to help her if she was going to marry Bobby? He couldn't keep her warm at night if she was going to be in the same bed as Bobby! She might end up freezing to death completely.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go! She was supposed to wake-up when he was here and be happy! Bobby was never in the picture before! Its not fair that he showed up now!

"John?" A weak voice spoke.

Both John and Logan turned their attention to the top of the bed.

"Its- so good to see you." She yawned.

"Its good to see you too, Cure." He responded.

"Hey," She gripped his hand lightly, "thank you."

"Congrats, by the way, on your engagement. I just wanted to check and make sure you were alive." John turned and quickly made his way towards the door.

He heard her making a gasping sound as if she didn't notice the ring there. Then she said his name, he just ignored it though. He couldn't face her as Bobby's fiancée. It was the final trap Bobby had set for her, and she had fallen into it.

Once out of her sight he threw the red velvet box he had in his pocket. The stupid thing meant nothing now. Bobby had beat him to her. The whole thing had been Logan's idea. Get it for her and she wouldn't even consider marrying Bobby.

John kicked himself mentally for not being there at the moment she woke-up.

"She wants you to come back." Logan was suddenly behind him.

"I'm not."

"John, its not to late. Its only over if you give up, kid." Logan patted him on the shoulder, then took a separate path towards the dining hall.

For the first time in a long time, John felt heartbroken. As if he had just lost the race and there was nothing he could do to change it.

He had to face her though. She was going to hurt herself and come out to find him if he didn't. John's feet lead him to pick up the battered box; then turned and led him back to the infirmary.

She was sleeping again, but there was a note in her hand.

Carefully, John removed and read the crumbled paper, "_I'm sorry!"_ was written in what looked like drunk swirled handwriting.

"No, Rogue, its my fault. Don't worry though. I wont let him destroy you to save himself." John pulled Logan's chair up the bed and took hold on Rogue's hand. He slid the ring off and dropped it into the nightstand drawer next to her bed. "Don't want that ugly thing to break your finger off in the middle of the night."

* * *

_**Okay! So in one chapter, she went into a coma and came out of it. Sorry, but it needed to be done. What did John get her? Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!!**_

_**RAWR**_


	11. Would I lie to you?

"John." It'd been three weeks since Rogue had woke-up from her coma. As usual, she had followed John out to his hiding spot in the woods. Actually, truth be told, he lead her out here. The same way he had been since she had been released out of Hank's care. He made sure she had no time with Bobby, not that she had much time with him before. "Its cold out here."

John took her hand and pulled her closer to him, "Then I guess I'll just have to keep you warm."

There was no way Rogue could deny she liked the feeling of John's warmth. Ever since her coma he had become so persistent of her being around him. He seemed kind of mad at first, she could understand that feeling, she was upset herself. She didn't know how that…tacky ring had gotten on her finger. Logan had told her the whole story, she asked Bobby, he verified. Its not like she could tell him she needed time, he'd told everyone. They were bugging her for details and dates. She hated all of it. That's why she treasured when John would sneak her out of the building. He had taken her to all of his secret hiding places, some of them she admitted to knowing. When he stole her away from the world, she didn't have to worry about all of the pestering questions and nonsense.

She did have a nagging feeling in her stomach though. That the secret she had worked so hard to keep from him had somehow come out.

"Come on, why do we keep going into the woods? Scared of being seen with me?" Rogue teased as John lead her through a tree pass.

"I just don't want you to be forced back into that room. You've barely lived outside of those halls for almost a year." John confessed. It was nice to almost be completely honest with himself and her.

"Come on," Rogue laughed, "Tell me the truth."

"Just wait. I'm leading you to my favorite place."

"I probably know about it."

John pushed a curtain of leaves and vines aside and stepped inside what seemed like a room of trees and grass.

"I figured I could spend most of my summer, seeing as I'm going to be trapped here, right here." John said as Rogue stepped into the area.

"John, its amazing." She gawked as she looked around. "I see you even stole some of the lawn ornaments from the school." She giggled pulling him behind her towards the hammock that was strung up between two of the far trees.

"You're such a nerd." John followed her lead.

She fell onto the hammock and pulled him down with her.

"I'm glad you come and rescue me." She confessed as she snuggled up against his chest.

"Duh. And I thought my life was crap."

"What do you mean?" She looked up at him with a confused look.

"Bobby alone sucks. Marrying him…I feel really bad for you. Plus you're sick every other week. I honestly don't know how you smile." He kicked the ground to start swinging them.

"Cause I've got you. You're my best friend. I know it seems stupid, but if it wasn't for you I might have died. I figured the best way for me to repay would be for me to leave you alone, only you came to me. You have no idea what that means to me." Rogue batted back tears that were stinging her eyes.

John tilted his head back to look up at the sky. He secured his arm tight around her trying to think of possible solutions for their situation.

"So you're seriously going to marry him?"

"I guess. Who else would marry me? He was the only one who-never mind. Lets talk about something else, better yet. Lets just sit." She yawned while repositioning herself to use John's arm as a pillow.

John silently agreed to her suggestion, he wanted to think anyway. After all this time…she saw him as her best friend? It was getting easier to admit to himself everyday that he had grown some sort of strange feeling (dare he say it, could it be love?) for her. To hear that though, it was kind of disheartening. Still, Logan told him that he was the only one who could get her out of this. He still hadnt given her the gift he had gotten her. No timing seemed right, it did feel like it was close at hand though. Maybe one of these next few days he'll be able to.

Nothing could prepare them for what happened when they got back to the school building. As usual Rogue suggested they race back, John suggested she be a good little girl and not give Logan another almost heart attack.

"John, I need to ask you something. Please answer me truthfully." How was she supposed to fess up to him that she was debating dropping her whole wedding for him. That if he just gave her the right sign she would. "Do you---what's going on?"

John turned his gaze to follow Rogue's.

This time they didn't make it all the way to the building. There were four people standing outside when they got back. Logan, looking stern as ever; Storm, looking stressed as ever; Bobby, looking displeased as ever; and Kitty looked like a trailer woman wronged by her man.

"Uh-oh. Wonder what happened." Rogue gasped John's sleeve loosely.

"I think its what is about to happen. Ice-prick looks to stinkin' happy." John's steps were more cautious now.

"Rogue, baby, get away from that slime ball." Bobby stepped forward first to grab Rogue's arm and pull her to him.

"Hey, what's your issue, Ice-prick?!" John exclaimed.

"Apparently, its not their issue, its your's." Strom added in with an unhappy face.

"What?" Rogue asked wide-eyed looking at all the people surrounding her.

"Babe, we don't need to stay for this, you don't need the stress." Bobby began to lead her away.

"No!" Rogue dug the heels of her boots down into the ground, "What is going on?"

"Ask John here. Ask him why he has a sudden interest in you. Why he wants to be with you all the time. I'm sure his answer will be the one you want to hear." Kitty added snidely.

"John? What's going on?" Rogue turned her attention to John who was standing on the opposite side of the circle.

"I wish I knew." John glared over at Bobby.

"Don't play innocent. Tell her about us. Tell her how you don't want anything to do with our child. How as soon as you found out you went to hide with her. You knew I couldn't hurt her and tell her that her '_best friend'_ was nothing but a worthless jerk." Kitty popped her hip to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.

"WHAT?! You're so full of it!" John felt like he had been leveled by her accusation.

"John," Rogue's southern voice rang in his ears. It wasn't what it had been earlier. Now it sounded beyond broken. "is it true?"

"No! She is-"

"Quit lying! Man-up you spineless coward!" Kitty demanded.

"I'm not lying."

"John, if this is true, then we're going to have to take action." Storm added in.

"Its not! I've had nothing to do with her in months!" John couldn't believe his ears.

"I thought you were the hero. Is it only for women who don't want anything from you?" Kitty kept throwing in her stupid petty remarks.

"Bobby, I need to get out of here." Rogue turned to face Bobby's chest completely. She couldn't look at John. It hurt too much to even think about the fact that it might be true.

"Its okay, love, lets go." Bobby began to lead her away again, only this time she didn't oppose him.

"Rogue! Wait! There is an explanation for this!" John tried to follow them, only Logan stepped in front of him. "Come on. You don't buy this bull do you? Its a lie"

"Apparently. John, just leave her alone." Logan said that then him and Storm left. Leaving him to be alone with Kitty.

"Sucks doesn't? The one person you actually find yourself loving can't be your's cause they were already someone else's." Kitty threw herself down into one of the lawn chairs.

John didn't answer, he stood in the dewing grass and shook with anger and disbelief. Why now? Everything had been going so perfectly.

"You're a bitch." He spat with fiery venom.

"I know. Comes with the territory." Kitty giggled in response.

* * *

She had almost thrown her wedding for John! What if they hadn't been there and she actually asked him?!

"He didn't care at all!" She sobbed and threw a few of her stuffed animals across her room angrily. "Not at all!"

"Rogue, don't work yourself up into a tizzy." Bobby stood from the chair he had been watching her in and restrained her arms to her sides. "Calm down. We need to get you out of all these clothes. You're gonna have a heat stroke. Ridiculous how he risked your health for his fun."

Bobby helped her shed out of her brown coat, then green sweater, and etcetera until she was only in her T-shirt and blue jeans.

Before he had the chance to pull away she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth.

When they finally broke for air, Bobby looked at her stunned. "You sure?"

She nodded. She really didn't want to, but being with Bobby was going to be the only way to get John off her mind. John and the awful situation he had been hiding from her.

Bobby kissed her and she felt all the coldness wash John's warmth away. She had to remind herself that it was a good thing. That in the end it was for the best. John was never going to happen, not now, not ever.

Tears escaped her eyes before she could control them. Bobby pulled away and Rogue bit her lip in shame and sadness.

"Its okay. You're hurt. I get it. Just take some time and clam down. Take a bubble bath, that always makes you happy." He smiled and cupped her face.

"Okay. I'm sorry." She put on a smile and hugged Bobby. He was the one meant for her, as hard as it was going to be to accept, it was true.

"I do know something I can offer." Bobby, lifted her chin to make her look at him.

"Hmm?" She sniffled.

"Lets move the wedding up. How about in two weeks? All we really need is a preacher, dress, and suit--maybe one witness. Also, that way, we can go on our honeymoon and leave all of this mess behind us. How does that sound?" He said it with what seemed like so much eagerness.

"Okay." Rogue agreed. The sooner the better, her heart wont last much longer if she keep abusing it like this.

_**Ba ba ba dum! Oh snap! I've already got the next chapter (wedding chapter and possibly FINAL chapter) stirring in my head and going on my computer! Tell me what you think of those dirty schemers and once upon a time dreamers! **_

_**RAWR**_


	12. Just burn the memories

Rogue was eating lunch caught between a laughing Bobby and Kitty. She couldn't quite bring herself to laugh with them. They were talking about how perfect the wedding was going to be, well Bobby was. Kitty just seemed to smile and nod and agree, as if she weren't exactly thrilled about it herself. Rogue had to give her credit though. Kitty had managed to gather up more enthusiasm than she had. It was the most Rogue could do to nod her head and agree, even though her wedding was just one day away.

It was bugging her that John hadn't shown up to lunch today. Of course she hadn't sat with him since the news broke of him and Kitty. She went to an early breakfast just avoid him most days. When he tried to talk to her, the first few days after the incident, she couldn't even face him. Bobby and John ended up in a huge argument over the fact of it, Logan having to pull John off Bobby in the end of it. Rogue blinked at the huffing John who Logan was restraining, there was small amount of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, that seemed to be the only apparent wound he had.

He looked her dead in the eyes, it was hard not to fall over just by looking into his eyes, after all she had almost fallen for those eyes before. After a long second, he shrugged away from Logan and wiped his mouth free of blood. Then he went up the closest flight of stairs cursing under his breath.

She didn't search for him every spare second she had now, instead those were spent with Bobby. Instead of spending time laughing at John's snide comments, she spent it buried up to her ears in wedding preparations.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen John in a day or two. The last time she had seen him was when so awful kids dumped their full-of-food trays on his head. Since she wasn't sitting with him anymore, he had been forced back to the table next to the garbage bins. He didn't hurt the people who did it though, instead he took in a deep breath then shoved away from his table.

"Real mature." She heard him growl as he took some of the pasta off his shoulders and threw it on their feet, causing them to yell something about ruining their new shoes.

She wanted to help him, her body even jerked to do so, but Bobby's hand held hers tightly as if to keep her in place.

"He deserves it." Bobby told her.

That didn't make it any easier to watch. That was her John! The one who saved her life, more than one time! Who despite the fact she had traded away her mutant powers (and the hate he felt for that) spent time with her. He made sure she was still breathing. He made her laugh at times when she wanted to cry.

He forgave her for her past, yet…at the drop of a hat she gave up on him. She wouldn't even listen to what he had to say. Albeit when he first got here, he intimidated her so much she couldn't talk to him…in the end he still did. He laughed with her and entrusted her with his secrets.

Rogue stared blankly at the empty seat across the room from her own. She had forgotten why she spent so much time with John before. Even sitting here next to her fiancée and friends---she was so alone. He was the only one who could releive her of that feeling.

"Bobby, I've gotta go to my room." Rogue suddenly spoke up, "I forgot to take my medicine this morning."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Bobby asked, Rogue could tell by the tone of his voice that he really didn't want to come. He would rather sit here and talk to everyone.

"Nah, I'm a big girl. I can handle it." She pushed away from the table and briskly made her way towards the hall doors.

The hall was so much more quiet than the lunchroom had been. Rogue took a deep breath and leaned against one of the columns protruding from wall. What was happening in her life? It was beyond sucking…this was bottom of the pit and digging down further. She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. It was the day before her wedding…she should be happy and buzzing about.

She pushed all those thoughts aside and continued to walk down the hall, the heels of her boots clicking behind her.

Who was she kidding? Tears were threatening to pour out of her eyes while she walking. She could simply push it away. She hated this whole situation.

Using the sleeve of her jacket, she wiped away the tears that had slipped out. She didn't want to get married tomorrow!! She wanted to be back spending time with John while Bobby was off doing God knows what!

"Dang-it." She sniffled, fanning herself to try and cool her heated cheeks.

"Rogue?" A voice came from around the corner, startling her. "Thank God its you!"

John emerged from around the corner, making Rogue gulp. She didn't want to runaway. She had no reason too.

"They're lying. Kitty isn't having my baby! Rogue you have to hear me out!" John took her hands in his own. "He has you freezing again. What a prick. Just to save his face."

Rogue's mind was screaming at her to do something aside from stand there. Slap him, kick him, kiss him, hug him, just SOMETHING!

"So you are denying the baby?" That wasn't what she wanted to say! This was John! There was no way he would do that. When he first came back he might have, but now…he was a completely different person.

"Listen to me, damn it! She has been sleeping with-"

"Rogue you forgot your purse!" Bobby's voice called from down the hall Rogue had just come.

Just as he rounded the corner, Rogue turned her head to face that direction. It all went in slow motion. Bobby wasn't even looking up at first, he was smiling looking down then his head began to turn up. Unconsciously, Rogue's fingers tightened around John's, as if they had just gotten busted cheating. John's tightened around hers well as he looked over by her to see Bobby's facial expression change. His smile diffused into a scowl.

Then things were back in normal time.

"John! Stay away from her!" Bobby ordered as he marched up the hall.

"I'm telling her the truth." John caught Rogue's chin and made her turn back to face him, "Bobby and Kitty have been sleeping together."

He laid it out so plain. Rogue slowly processed his words, each one sinking in and hitting a different nerve.

How dare he say that about Bobby! Why would Bobby ask her to marry him if he was sleeping with Kitty?

Then just as if it had been wrote out in a script, Rogue's eyes narrowed at John, "I don't believe you. Bobby loves me too much to ever do anything like that. You're just saying that because you got busted for not wanting to help Kitty with your baby."

She could have stabbed him and it would have hurt worse. Hell, she could have shot him at close range with a shotgun and it would have hurt worse. Hadn't he done everything in his power to show her that he had changed? Couldn't she see the evidence when Bobby and Kitty disappeared at the same time?!

"What is wrong with you? Just because you have issues with Kitty doesn't mean you can try to ruin our relationship." Bobby pulled Rogue away from the empty grip of John by her shoulders.

Everything had flipped. John wasn't picking on her anymore. She was the one making him feel like nothing. It was her making the hateful comments and glaring looks. She was no better than every other person here now. She had sank down and threw the last accusing stone at John.

She might as well just told John to leave.

"Fine. Maybe next time he wont kill your baby." John spat out.

"I had a miscarriage, asshole!" Rogue didn't like to talk about that subject at all.

"That's what he told you. Why don't you ask him what really happened to your baby? Ask him why you never got a chance to hold it or to play with it. Go ahead. I'm sure his answer will be better than the truth." John straightened out his jacket with a grunt.

"Bobby?" Rogue blinked and turned to face him.

"I did it to save her. It was either the baby or her, and the baby wasn't far enough along that it would have lived! I made a choice to save her!" Bobby's eyes shifted back and forth between John and Rogue.

"You _**killed**_ our baby?" Rogue's jaw dropped.

"Don't say it like that." Bobby rubbed her arms.

"Is it true?! I would have rather our baby have lived!" Rogue, for the first time in a while, sounded firm and pissed.

"Yes. I had them abort the baby. I figured it would be easier if you thought you lost it." Bobby confessed to at least one of his lies.

"I cant believe this. This is just-crazy. All of this. Its going to give me a heart attack or send me into another coma!" She broke from Bobby's hold and continued to march towards her room.

"Rogue! The wedding?" Bobby called after her.

"I'll let you know how I feel tomorrow." She snapped her response back, then was gone.

"You lying prick. All your are doing is hurting her." John growled at Bobby.

"I don't see why you care so much. You helped her a few times. I was the one who was here when she was in a pathetic form. When she got so sick she couldn't get out of bed for days. It wasn't you." Bobby retorted.

"So is that when the thing with Kitty started?" John spat back at him.

"Like you would have bothered. I'm better than you, if it was just with one girl with me, I cant fathom what you would have done. Like I said, I don't see why you care so much. Wait---do you 'love' her?" Bobby laughed, "That's great! Did you think if you exposed me and Kitty she would come back to you? She hates you and thinks you're the bottom of the bucket scum."

"Wonder what she would think of you if she ever figured out it were true." John clenched first began to build a fire around it.

Bobby stared confused at John's fist for a second.

"Cool right? She taught me to have patience enough to do it. I don't need the lighter. I can pull it out of my own body." John scoffed a laugh at Bobby's expression.

"It doesn't matter. Tomorrow she will be my wife. There is nothing you can do about it. It'll be a graceful loss if you quit now."

"You're sick. You don't even love her. You don't know what you want!"

"And you want Rogue? Is that it? Well too bad, if it is just to keep her away from you, I'm going to marry her. You'll never have a chance with her after that."

Bobby went on past John, who was quaking with anger once again.

How was he supposed to save her now? She was so set that he was the bad guy. It was the one time he didn't do it! The one time where he is innocent! Why is it when he finally figures out what he wants, it gets taken from him.

***

Rogue sat in her window with all the lights off in her room. She had been watching the orange glow from all the places in the woods where John's hide outs were, burn up. It was John who was doing. Burning a branch wasn't going to it this time. He had started just after midnight. One by one he was burning down everything he had built in the woods.

She hugged her pillow tightly against her chest. Where was he going to hide now? Not that it mattered to her. He was probably burning them cause she knew where they all were and he was scared she would tell Bobby.

She might have been cruel to him earlier, but she hadn't meant to be so hard. It was just too much to take in. There was no way she could believe all of it was true. Though some if it did line up. Bobby disappearing from time to time, Kitty always disappearing about the same time.

No! She shook the thought from her mind and focused on the new glow. It was the furthest back of them all so far. It must've been the big one. The one that was his favorite and he had shown her.

With regret, she pushed her hand against the cold window pane, "I'm sorry."

***

John was burning everything that held a memory with her. Anything he had shown her or anything she had touched. He didn't want these stupid hide outs anymore. He built most of them for him and her to hide out in since she became such a big and constant part of his life.

He let everything burn, then with little effort, killed the whole fire. Hide out by hide out, he went through burning everything.

When he finally made it the last one he stopped. Carefully he stepped through the curtain of leaves and into it for the last time. He had brought her here on the day everything fell apart. He had been so close to saving her from Bobby, but just as this place would soon be, it went up in flames.

With a snap of his fingers, a flame appeared in his hand and he threw it into the center of the area. He threw a few more fireballs around then help them spread and burn. He didn't want a trace of her memory to be left. After tomorrow it wouldn't matter. He couldn't talk to her, since she wasn't coming out of her room. He had told her everything anyway. He could only hope that over night it would sink in and make her realize he was telling the truth!

The chance of the happening were slim to none though. He wasn't going to sit around here and wait for miracle.

Tomorrow is another day. One that is gonna bring either a new start or a tragic end.

* * *

_**Whoot! I'm tired!!!! I needed to write this though. I was almost crying through the whole thing. Its in my head and I can see it so perfectly…really makes me sad. So tell me what you think!!!! I'll be eagerly waiting to hear back from you before I write more!**_

_**RAWR**_


	13. I'm the Biggest Fool of All

This wasn't how she was supposed to feel on her wedding day. She should be glowing and beaming, being extremely happy about everything that is about to happen. Yet, here she sat in her wedding dress in front of her vanity sipping water (being forbidden to drink anything else in fear she might spill it on her dress) just waiting for some more terrible news to come to her.

She still couldn't forgive Bobby, and probably never would, for killing their baby. Even if it would have killed her, she wanted the baby. Hell, she wanted a baby more than anything else really. She had never admitted it to anyone but herself, still the fact remained, she was more than likely never going to have one.

Once she washed that sadness down with a big gulp of water, her next trauma emerged in her brain. The fact that what John said about Bobby and Kitty could be true. The saddest factor of this argument in her mind being, a fractional part of her wanted it to be true. It would have given her a reason to break off this damn wedding and be free. Therein a fact remains, John is the accused father of Kitty's baby. What if this was true. It didn't make as much sense as anything else though. She had spent almost every second with John. Even at time when he didn't know she was there!

Irritated, she set her wine glass of water down and stood from her vanity chair. This stupid dress was so hard to move in it was unreal!

Rogue stared her reflection down in the full body mirror. It wasn't the dress' fault she was getting married, no use in getting mad at it. After all it was a rather magnificent dress. It was a white strapless top that was heavily beaded with pearls and clear beads, white buttons trailed up her back and fastened the dress together, the waist was simple and made to merge into the puffy princess style bottom. She really did love the dress, it was the wedding that was the problem.

A sudden knock on her door tore her from her reflection.

She lifted the puffy fabric around her feet and tip-toed over to the door, "Who is it?"

"Its me, Logan." A gruff voice responded from the other side.

Rogue took a deep breath and unlocked the door.

"Hey," She greeted the man on the other side of the door with a smile. "Come in."

"Thanks." Logan entered slowly.

"Logan," Rogue laughed, "Your tie."

Logan glanced down at the item wrapped around his neck. "Oh yeah, I couldn't get it to work."

"Come 'ere." She shuffled over to him and began to fix the tie.

"Thanks," He looked up at the ceiling.

There was an awkward silence after she had finished. Logan looked down and examined the hidden details on her face. He didn't know much about weddings, but he did know that the way she looked wasn't how a bride-to-be should.

"You okay, kid?" He put a hand on her bare shoulder.

She almost burst out into tears right then and there. She wasn't okay. She would never be okay after everything that has happened.

In an instant her arms were wrapped around Logan, burying her face in his chest.

"I don't know what's happening. I don't know what to do." She confessed as Logan's arms wrapped around her.

Showing affection wasn't normally something he would do, but this was his Marie and for some reason…she was hurting.

"You're not feeling bad are you?" He petted her back gently.

"No." She squeezed her arms tighter around him.

"Then what wrong? You should be smiling and happy when I walk you down that isle, not be on the verge of crying, unless of course they're happy tears." He tried to comfort her. "You're gonna to ruin your pretty curls if you keep thrashing your head around."

"I don't even know where to start. I'm a complete mess and I'm getting married in less than two hours!" She cried into his shirt.

***

"Its not like I'm going to try and crash the wedding. I figured after I told her everything she would wake-up and realize this was all a big mistake. She didn't, so I have nothing left to do here." John spoke with venom laced words as he shoved all his belongings he could into his old duffle bag.

"I know. I just don't want to be out there yet and in here is pretty much the safest place to hide." Kitty sighed.

"Aren't you a bridesmaid? Shouldn't you be helping her get ready for this fiasco?" John was pestered by her very presence. Why do people think they can just walk in and stay around him?

"Nah. No time to get our dresses together so she just has a maid of honor in the wedding of the freaking year." Kitty's tone was the bitter one this time.

"Aren't you thrilled?!" John faked enthusiasm, "Your baby daddy is getting married to someone else!"

"Yeah." Kitty sighed falling down on John's bed. "About that."

"I don't think I am, I know the truth. Don't bother." John tugged some of his clothes that were underneath her out. "Get off my clothes."

"So you're really going? You're not even gonna try to crash it?"

"Its what she wants apparently. I tried everything. She has too simple of mind to believe anything aside from stuff about me, I guess."

"Fine. I'm going to go get dressed, then see if your dream girl needs anything." Kitty got back up off the bed and exited out of the room.

Finally, she was worse than Rogue! Hanging around annoying the hell out of him all the time. What is it with the women around here?! He wasn't hanging around to find out, if anyone wanted to stop him this time, they'd have to kill him. There was a snowball's chance in hell he was staying here after today!

When John had finished packing the sound of thunder and wedding organs rang out at the same time. Figures, its gonna be raining and he has to be out walking in it. Beat staying here though.

With one last look down the hall, the hall that would lead to his worst nightmare, he turned a cold shoulder to it and walked away.

Couldn't say he didn't give it his best effort.

***

Once Logan had gotten Rogue semi-calmed down it was time for the show to begin.

"You look good in a tux." She smiled as Logan and her awaited their turn to walk up the aisle.

"Hope you take a picture, you'll never see me in this monkey suit again." Logan chuckled as he attempted to fix his sleeves one last time. "You ready?"

Was she? Sure Logan had coaxed her out here, but was she truly ready to do this?

"Rogue?" A meek voice broke into her thoughts.

"Kitty! What're you doing out here?" Rogue gasped.

"I need to talk to you before you do this."

"Can we make it quick? We kind of have a previous appointment." Logan added.

"Okay. We'll be right back." Rogue threw a smile over to Logan and pulled Kitty around a close corner. "Now what is it?"

"Rogue. There is no baby."

"You mean that you lost-"

"No, Rogue, there never was a baby. It was something I said, please don't hate me cause I need to be honest with you, to get Bobby to stay with me. Bobby told me to blame it on John. See? John was telling the truth." Rogue's mouth dropped open as she listened to Kitty's confession. She wanted to be mad at her, but Kitty was crying uncontrollable and she couldn't find it in her too. "Bobby came to me a little bit after you got sick and we got carried away and before I know it, it starts happening all the time. I felt terrible for doing it to you, but…Rogue…I love him."

Rogue took in a few breaths. So John was telling the truth and was completely innocent.

"He didn't abort your baby to save you." She sobbed, using her hands to cover her face, "He told me that he didn't want to be a dad while he was still in school so he used the cover that he wanted to save you. I know it all sounds so terrible, I had to tell you before you married him."

"Where's John?" Rogue managed to choke out.

"He left about thirty minutes ago. He couldn't be here while Bobby used you. Rogue-" Kitty's statement was cut short when Rogue's hand slapped her.

"I have to go find John. I'll deal with you two when I get back." Rogue's eyes narrowed at Kitty as she hitched up her dress and started down the hall.

"Kid! Where you going? We're supposed to go this way." Logan yelled as Rogue ran by him.

"I've gotta go. I need to find John!" She yelled back in response as she kept running.

This stupid dress was too hard to run in! Every few steps she took the material got caught underneath her foot, causing her to stumble. When she got to the front door she pushed both double doors open with all her strength. It was pouring rain, perfect.

She tried to focus through the constant drops on the path leading away from the school. Her eyes barely caught the dark figure turn out of the long drive, but they did see it.

"Rouge wait!" She heard Logan yelling from down the hall a bit, she needed to go right now though. She couldn't wait, he was already too far.

"John!" She screamed out into the rain as she forced herself out into the cold rain.

It was hard to hold her skirt up and run, but she had too. John was getting further away.

"John!" She stepped on her dress and stumble, but still kept going.

It didn't hurt in her chest while she was running, which inspired her to run faster.

"John stop! Jo--------hn!" She cried as she tripped and fell into a mud puddle. Her dress, hair and make-up were all ruined now. Her legs weren't used to so much intense work and were making it known they didn't like it. Despite the burning throbs she had keep going. He was just around that corner or somewhere near there she knew it.

She stood, now there was a new pain aside form her thighs, her ankle. It hurt to put pressure on it. Now wasn't the time for a twisted ankle.

"Come on!" She trudged on in the rain, only walking briskly due to her ankle. "John! John I'm so so so----rry!!! Please!"

She could hear Logan and a few others yelling her name from somewhere behind her in the rain. She was so close to him now. She couldn't stop. She had to get him to come back. She had to tell him that she cant marry Bobby, not when she loved him! She couldn't do it when John was everything she needed. She had to get him back or die trying.

Finally she reached the giant brick columns of the school's drive entrance.

Huffing, she leaned against it to catch her breath for a second and to give her ankle a rest. Using her hand, she wiped the rain and tears from her eyes so she could see around her.

"John! Where are you?!" She had to have made it in time. He couldn't have disappeared so fast! "John! I'm sorry! I need you."

* * *

_**Da da daa! So I prolonged the ending for two chapters, please don't be mad. I love writing this so much. I cant tell you how many times I watched the ending scene play in my head. I makes me insane not being able to get it up sooner, but I have to give you all my best (I know I have my share of typing errors so please forgive me). NO SCHOOL TOMORROW CAUSE OF SNOW, so I get to write more! YOUR TURN TO WRITE NOW! MAKE IT GOOD! (Not judging reviews, all reviews I get are blessings!) Thanks for reading! **_

_**RAWR**_


	14. At the beginning with you

"Jo----hn!" She huffed, she hadn't even noticed it was so cold she could see her breath.

"What're you doing out here, Cure?" The sound made Rogue's heart lighten when she heard the sharp tone ring in her ears.

"John!" She turned quickly, he was standing under close to the school wall, underneath a tree's branches that was on the other side. He must've been standing there to wait for the rain to pass.

She couldn't move for a moment, the excitement in her just didn't know what to do, "I'm so glad I found you!" She launched forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey!" He tried to protest but she knocked the air out of him.

"I thought you were already gone! I'm so sorry! You were right about everything! I wanted to believe you but I didn't want it to be true! Please don't go!" She kept her body pressed against his.

"Why should I stay? And what the hell are you doing out here anyway? You're gonna be dead before your honeymoon." John wanted to sound mad, but how could he?

"The only honeymoon I wanna go on is with you! I don't want to marry Bobby! I cant! I need you!" She cried against his chest, she hadn't even cared to notice she had covered him in mud.

"You're going to go right back to Bobby. I know it." He could feel the water from Rogue's clothes seeping through his own.

"No. I'm done with Bobby! John, I'm sorry. I should have listened to my heart earlier! John, you cant leave!" She looked up at him, blinking tears from her eyes.

"Why not?" He looked down at her with a raised brow.

"Cause," She pushed up on her top-toes, "I love you, John."

She pressed her lips against his, just as she had done before, only this time it felt perfect. John's feelings and heat entered her immediately. She could tell he felt torn, that he wanted to be with her, but he couldn't stand it if she was just going to run back to Bobby.

She pulled back for a second, "Please don't leave me. I cant live without you."

John looked at her for a hard second. He wasn't having this stupid argument again. If she wanted to be with him, then he was going to be with her.

He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips enclosing hers in a deep kiss. His arms released her waist and he put his hands on either side of her face, holding it in place.

Rogue's fingers were buried in his hair, returning his kiss with as much passion as she could muster.

"Rogue!" A voice broke-up their world of feelings.

Rogue's feet leveled themselves back onto the ground as Logan emerged out of school's drive.

"Kid!" Logan sighed when he finally found her, "John?"

Logan didn't bother to wait for an answer, he handed the umbrella he had to Rogue and shed his tuxedo jacket off to put on her.

"Logan. I don't…I cant marry Bobby." She took the umbrella and tried to hold it over everyone's head.

"Okay, we'll cancel and plan it for another day." Logan offered.

"No. I don't ever want to marry him."

Logan, at first, looked taken back by her statement, then his expression faded into a smile.

"Right now, I don't care if you ever get married. Just get back in that building and change!" Logan motioned for her to start back.

Smiling Rogue took a step back towards the gravel path, only to be stopped by a shocking pain in her ankle.

"What's wrong?" John caught her arm before she could stumble to the ground.

"Oh, ha, I just twisted my ankle while running. Its fine I just have to-" Before she could finish John had lifted her in his arms, carrying her (how ironically) bridal style.

"You just hold the umbrella over us." He smiled down at her. "Logan, could you get my bag?"

Logan scanned John up and down. John wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. "Kid," He finally spoke, only looking at Rogue, "you okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

Logan's expression changed once more as he bent down and retrieved John's now soaking bag.

"Come on." He shrugged it up on his shoulder and started to lead them back down the path.

It was a silent walk back to the school. No one knew exactly what to say.

"Rogue!" Someone yelled when they reached the school and had safely made it inside. "Are you okay?! Why'd you take off? What is he doing with you?!"

It was Bobby, standing in the doorway in his tux. Rogue couldn't stand the sight of him, it was making her sick just being in his presence.

"Logan," She shifted her attention, as John set her down. She didn't let go of him though, she leaned against him for support. "Did you know?"

"Know what?" Logan asked as he shook the water from his hair.

"That Bobby had my baby killed cause he didn't want to be a father?" Rouge's body was turned in towards John's, her back to Bobby and everyone else. Her hand was clutching a fistful of his soaking shirt.

"He what?" She knew Logan's jaw had dropped.

Her free hand undid the pin in her hair, letting it falling in soaking waves down her back, most of it sticking to her skin. She didn't want Bobby to see any part of her that wasn't covered, her back being that only thing exposed to him, she used her hair to cover it.

"He didn't want to be a father so he had my baby killed." She repeated herself.

John watched as Logan's vision shifted to the frozen form the was Bobby. This was news to John as well. He never knew the full details of the ordeal.

Her hand, that had released her hair, found John's and slipped in it.

"He lied and said I lost it. Making me feel so terrible and unworthy. It gets better though, he was sleeping with Kitty and has been since I got sick." Rogue closed her eyes and leaned her head against John's chest.

John was surprised at how calm and cool she was being about this whole confrontation thing.

In Rogue's mind this was the only way to do it. To expose Bobby like this in front of everyone. The only reason she was being so easy about it was she was scared what would happen if she reacted the way she wanted too. What if she fell into a coma and died this time? Now when she finally got John. No, this was a good path to take. Logan had enough rage for both of them.

"Bobby never loved me. I was just a stupid trophy!" She finally let some emotion slip.

"Rogue! This is absurd! He is telling you lies!" Bobby finally spoke up.

"He didn't tell me," Rogue spat back with venom. She turned her head quickly to look at him, causing him to stop in mid-step. "Kitty, herself, told me."

"She probably said it cause it would be the only way John would acknowledge the baby!" Bobby argued again.

"You fool! There is no baby." Rogue's fist clutched John's shirt tighter.

"Yes-" Bobby started but was interrupted.

"There was never a baby." Kitty's voice entered the argument. "I didn't want you to leave me and be with Rogue forever so I said the only thing I could think of. But you just told me to blame it on someone else. Then you saw how close Rogue and John had gotten and you told me to blame it on John. So when they went out on there walk you took me to Logan and Storm and made me to tell them. It was only supposed to be me and you involved, that's why it didn't matter that I lied."

"Kitty, don't." Bobby's voice sounded like a warning.

"I loved you, you're just to caught up in being number one and making John miserable you didn't see it." Kitty didn't have a bit of regret in her voice.

"Bobby Drake." Logan gritted through his teeth.

"Logan, stop." Storm entered in, "We have to handle this as adults. Bobby, my office now."

"But-"

"You can safely assume the teaching position you were offered is now being taken off the table." Storm's tone was one that was not to be back-talked or challenged.

"You traitor! Why did you get everything that was mine?! I was the perfect one! I never had a flaw! You had a book full of them!" Bobby's attention was focused on John, who had just been whispering to ask Rogue if she was okay.

"I atoned for mine. Its time you do for your's." John's hand tightened on Rogue's, sending waves of warmth washing through her.

"Bobby," Rogue's voice was strong and confident as she stared at him with flames of hate glowing in her eyes, ", its **OVER**."

Bobby looked beyong blown away. He could believe this was happening to him of all people.

"Bobby, if you don't march now, I'll-" Logan didn't need to finish, Bobby was stomping off mad towards Storm's office anyway.

Logan looked torn, he wanted to stay and comfort Rogue, but he needed to go help Storm with the present situation. John nodded for him to go with Storm. That wasn't enough to convince him. He needed to make sure Rogue was gonna be okay without him.

"Go on Logan," She sniffled. Her grip on John's shirt beginning to lessen.

The cool demeanor she had was beginning to melt away. She wanted to be alone with John and cry her eyes out.

With a nod Logan followed after Storm and Bobby. Leaving a crowd of dissipating people along with John and Rogue. Some were staring, others pointing fingers. She heard whispers of discord and cheating, all aimed at her and John.

"John, I need to change. Please help me to my room." She whispered breathlessly.

"Do I need to carry you?" He offered, focusing his attention on Rogue's hand, which was trembling.

"No, just help me balance." She dropped the hand that had been holding his shirt completely and started limping down the hall, with John close to her side.

John did. He held her arm, keeping her balanced as they made their way towards the elevator.

Once they were safely hidden away in Rogue's room, she let loose. She cried the entire time she was changing out of her ruined dress (John turning her back at this point) and into some clean pajamas and underwear. She cried while John helped her over to her bed; then while John eased her down into it.

"I've got to go change, I'll get a wrap for your ankle while I'm out. It wont take long I promise." John kissed her damp hair and quickly left the room.

John didn't know what to do, ever since they walked into the room she had been crying. While she changed he turned away to give her some privacy. Then he helped her over to her bed. She didn't stop crying at any point.

He changed as quick as he could manage, after he found his bag. Along with the way he noticed all the dirty looks he was receiving.

"Look all you want, doesn't change the fact Bobby is the cheater of the year." He snapped at a crowd of them, making them gasp in disbelief.

Petty stupid excuses for mutants. They made him sick all of them. Then again, that's what he said about the woman he now loved. Not that he was ever going to love these twits. He was probably going to see them as annoying for the rest of his life.

It seemed like John was back in a matter of minutes, crying must've passed more time than she thought.

She had managed to sober up from her tears mostly by the time John got done wrapping her ankle.

"That was a handy thing I learned from Mystique. She was a good nurse, when she wasn't going psycho on for hurting ourselves to begin with." John joked as he put a pillow under her ankle, then proceeded to crawl up next to her on the bed.

"I'll have to thank her by chance we ever meet her again." She sniffled and adjusted herself into John's arms, laying her head on his chest.

"He isn't worth crying over, he is just a dumb idiotic douche-bag." John rubbed her arm, trying to generate some heat for her.

"That not why I'm crying. It just hit me, I almost lost you. You were literally steps away from leaving, and walking away from me forever." Rogue listened to his heartbeat calmly in his chest. It was like her own personal lullaby.

"I was gonna wait until the rain passed."

She nudged him slightly with her elbow, "You know what I mean."

"Listen to me and listen good. You're stuck with me. You've cast your southern-belle-charms on me and I cant get away." John's laugh made the guilt she felt ease some.

"I'm glad." She smiled and let her eyes close.

"By the way, have you ever noticed we always end up in some sort of bed together, yet NOTHING ever happens?" John commented as he adjusted a pillow underneath his head for support.

Rouge's eyes flew open at that point, "that not exactly true." She murmured.

"What do you mean by that?" John's interest was peaked.

"Well, outside wasn't our first kiss." Rogue buried her blistered face into John's shirt to hide it.

"Is that it?" John chuckled, " I thought you might have-"

"Oh Lord no!" Rogue's head whipped up and she hit his arm slightly, "You pervert! I would never!"

"You never know in this school. The people are crazy." John shrugged his shoulders.

Rogue glared at him for a second more than reclined back down to lay on his chest once more.

"You're getting too excited about this. Soon enough you're gonna go crazy coughing on me."

"No, I'm fine for right now. I just need to use you to heat up." She smiled.

"Oh so you're using me?"

"Oh, yes. And you're gonna love every minute of it." She lifted her head and pressed her lips against his for a short kiss. She loved the way John's heat ran through her then she kissed him. It was like a flame licking her every nerve and setting it ablaze. That thought made her mind drift further, then she had to jerk herself back from there. It just wasnt the time for that. With a smile she added, "I promise."

"You'd better come through." He kissed her back, sweet and mildly.

* * *

_**So should there be other chapters to this or should there be a squeal? I cant decide if I should spilt it up or not. Tell me what you think. Yay for Ryro!!! Finally right? Seems like I only include it at the ends or I take it away. Haha. ([Also, I was thinking of making a ryro video for this, but someone with a better program and more clips might contact me *wink wink*]) Your turn to write! **_

_**RAWR**_


	15. Sequel Information

Too all of those who have waited. To all those who have read and hated me (sending me evil mind waves) for not updating sooner.... the Sequel is now up!!!

Title: "At the Beginning with You".

Go check it out!!

THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!

RAWR


End file.
